


Broken Champion

by TaraTyler



Category: Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: Badass Women, F/F, Karate Carmilla AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 11:46:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5126363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraTyler/pseuds/TaraTyler





	1. 1

Little Do You Know - Alex and Sierra

It was 19 year old Laura’s first day at her new karate studio. Somehow, she was simultaneously excited and terrified. The teachers here were supposed to be amazing, especially if Carmilla Karnstein was an example of their work. She was a five time U21 champion and Laura had had the honor of having Carmilla hand her ass to her...twice. The girl was good, and the only reason Laura had only ever come in second once. Laura was pretty good herself.

“Ms. Hollis, thank you for coming! You’re just in time for sparring! Since it’s your first day you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to…” said a woman who looked to be in her late thirties or mid forties. Laura turned her most charming smile on her.

“No, no, I’m always ready for a good tumble, just let me get changed!” she said before skipping off to the changing rooms. Karate kids got adjusted to changing in rooms full of other people at an early age, and Laura had never had a problem with the practice before. he had changed in the same room as Rowdy Rousey before, her celebrity crush and never blinked once. Yet somehow, this was the first time she had been struck speechless by someone who wasn’t even naked.

Carmilla Karnstein’s back was to her as she pulled off a filmy, white, loose fitting shirt, revealing her bra strap and the single most muscular backs Laura had ever seen on another girl. Laura continued in without saying anything and changed into her usual uniform of rash-guard and tiny spandex shorts. Meanwhile Carmilla Karnstein was taking her precious time and didn’t turn around until Laura was done with both her staring and her changing, only catching a glimpse of Laura’s legs and ass.  
Where have I seen those before? she thought, completely unaware of the fact her school had a new student.

\-----/////-----

She was just stepping out of the changing rooms when she was a tiny someone she didn’t know wrapping her legs around one of her fellow student’s knees and bringing them crashing to the floor. Almost faster than Carmilla could see, the new girl was on top of ….LaFontaine, Carmilla finally put the name to the face, the non-binary redhead. Three seconds later and it was the new girl’s win.

“Wow,” said LaF “I don’t think anyone but Karnstein has been able to take me down that quickly before.” they said with a chuckle.

The new girl stood up and offered them a hand in getting up, then proceeded to explain to them the best way to counter the same move that she had just used to take them down. Carmilla had never seen a student take the time to help train another student like that before. It was almost enough to make her smile...almost.

“Now, let’s see the champ spar the newbie.” suggested Danny Lawrence, another of the more impressive students the Silas gym had turned out.

“I like that idea.” said the coach who just so happened to also be Danny’s mom.

“Carmilla, if you would.” said Coach Lawrence. Laura stood up and brushed off her knees.  
“Hi.” she said with a feeble smile, her eyes scanning Carmilla. She was maybe an inch taller than Laura, her black hair tied in a ponytail on the back of her head. She wore a three quarter rash guard shirt in black and red. Her pants were skin-tight, tights-style, that came down to maybe two inches below the knee.

“Hey.” Carmilla replied, enjoying eyeing this tiny fighter just as much as the other enjoyed eyeing her. She was more distracted before this fight than she ever had been before. Apparently it was very important that she classify the exact shade of brown vs. blonde of Laura’s hair before focusing in on kicking her ass. She didn’t think that she had ever fought anyone this absolutely adorable before.

“I’ve been wanting this rematch for a while.” Laura confesses and Carmilla is suddenly very confused, she has absolutely no idea what this shiny little person is talking about. 

“I’m afraid that I have no clue as to what you are referring.” Carmilla replied while she strapped on her gloves, her face shutting down into the expressionless mask she wore for fighting.

“U21 Tournament of 2013, Laura Hollis.” she reminded her and introduced herself, sticking out her gloved hand.

“You’re Laura Hollis? Hmmm.” Carmilla said, shaking the younger girl’s hand and trying to remember the details of their fight. “I feel like I should remember that.”

“Are you ladies ready, yet?” asked Coach Lawrence, sounding rather exasperated.

“Yes, ma’am.” Laura said, getting frustrated with Carmilla’s dismissive attitude towards her.

Laura stood and waited in the center of the taped off square of the middle of the room, watching Carmilla lazily strap on her shin guards while the other students lined the walls to watch.

“For those of you who don’t know, Ms. Hollis’ techniques are based in Tae Kwon Do and Krav Maga. She’s her region’s seven time champion in co-ed, girls, open class, and midrange class for U21 sparring and points style tournaments. Also, she’s come in second in Nationals to our own home town heroine, Carmilla Karnstein. Despite only weighing 97 pounds with a height of 5 feet and 2 inches, Laura Hollis is someone not to be looked down on.” Coach Lawrence explained as Carmilla entered the ring, absorbing every word.

Now she recognized Laura. Laura had almost managed to take her head off twelve times in the span of three minutes. She hadn’t recognized her because her in that match her opponent had moved so quickly that Carmilla hadn’t had any idea of what she had looked like until she had finally won the match. (She still had no idea how she had won that one.)

“Bow.” instructed Coach Lawrence.

“Touch gloves.” Carmilla and Laura bowed to one another without breaking eye contact, stood up and tapped their gloves together.

“And...begin!” Coach shouted.

Laura was just as fast as Carmilla remembered, jumping forward with a turn crescent kick that was aimed for Carmilla’s head. The champion barely managed to smack her foot out of the way in time, leaving no openings for her counter. However, she did use the opportunity to spin into a reverse turn side-kick at Laura’s chest, but when she had come back around the girl wasn’t there anymore. Laura knew that she had Carmilla on the ropes if only she could land something. She had known when she had gotten into martial arts that she would never win a match based off of her size or strength, she had stopped growing in the sixth grade. Her greatest advantage was in her speed and accuracy. She could throw five kicks in one jump. Somehow though, Carmilla Karnstein was blocking all of them, so she changed tactics. She stopped her constant movement for a second and allowed Carmilla’s eyes to catch up with her, just as she had expected the champion immediately went on the offensive.

Laura slid in beside of the kick and planted her foot inside of Carmilla’s guard, points style, not hard enough to hurt her, but a solid enough tap to let the taller girl know that she had been had.

“Break!” yelled Coach when Laura had already retreated back into her defensive stance.

“That was great ladies! That last kick was an amazing move, Laura, and Carmilla, you put up a great fight. Maybe you could show her how you pulled it off, even the best have things to learn sometimes!” Coach said when the two girls had separated and were breathing heavily.

“Shake hands and move off to the side.” Laura and Carmilla shook hands, bowed to one another, and thanked each other for the match.  
“You’re amazing.” Laura says as they stow their gear. “People always try to pin me down with a tackle or something, but you just kept chasing me down. You’re almost as fast as I am.”

“Do you always talk this much after a match?” Carmilla asks, pulling off her helmet and shaking out her hair.

Laura’s face falls and Carmilla feels the tiniest twinge of regret, but knows that she can’t risk the potential distraction of Laura Hollis. To mask her disappointment, Laura does the same before freeing her hands and feet of protective gear as well. She didn’t even feel excited about winning anymore. She hadn’t won against Carmilla verbally, but she had definitely won that match.


	2. 2

Atlas Hands - Benjamin Francis Leftwick

“Did you see the new girl and Karnstein checking each other out before the match?” LaFontaine asked the school’s student nurse, Perry.

“No, but I heard that the new girl won their match, and her match against you.” Perry teased.

“She’s really good, maybe better than Karnstein and Danny. Of course she managed to beat me. Compared to them I’m a pushover.” LaF said with a pout, Perry kissed their cheek and ruffled their hair in response.

“I heard that you gave Will a good one in the face last week.” Perry said in an attempt to cheer them up.

“Yeah, that felt nice.”

“So, tell me about the new girl and Karnstein checking each other out.” Perry said, leaning forward.

“Well, her name is Laura Hollis…”

\------/////------

As soon as sparring was over Carmilla had left, and for some reason that really, really ticked Laura off, and her partner was definitely feeling it as over and over she practiced flipping them over her shoulder and onto their back in front of her. Laura was constantly apologizing when she heard the whoosh of air flowing out of Elsie’s lungs.

“I’m good.” Elsie wheezed.

“Don’t apologize for the hardcore, frosh. We don’t apologize for the hardcore.” LaFontaine shouts before Danny flips them over her shoulder. Laura snorts in amusement as Elsie struggles to get her measly body weight over her shoulder before explaining the technique for what felt like the millionth time.

By the end of class all of the students were impressed with Laura Hollis: New Girl, and her outstanding work ethic. All of the other girls enjoyed watching the itty-bitty, five foot two Laura lift and throw a one hundred pound punching bag across the room after lifting it from the ground and holding it over and behind her head. Laura herself enjoyed the work out a lot. It was much more intensive than anything that had been going on at her old gym and Coach Lawrence put a lot more pressure on her than her old coach had.

\-----/////-----

Elsie: You’re missing out, Karnstein. New Girl and Lawrence are sparring.

Carm: Jr. or Sr. ?

Elsie: Jr. The shirts just came off. Now we are all drooling. This is every straight man and lesbian’s wet dream.

Carm: Not a fan of the Jolly Red Giant. 

Elsie: But you would definitely be a fan of Nearly Naked New Girl.

Carm: I will knock your head off of your shoulders...

 

What’s happening now?

\-----/////-----

As Laura began to get more and more integrated into Silas’ attitude as a karate school, she grew to like it more and more. LaFontaine was one of the greatest friends that she could ask for and was incredibly surprised to find that they and Perry weren’t already a couple, like, what’s up with that? Laura had also discovered that nobody had ever baked them any of her famous health cookies for them and had begun to bring them herself. LaF had offered to marry her on the spot . Perry hadn’t looked happy about this and Carmilla had just winked at her and said   
“Thanks, Cupcake.” Laura hadn’t been aware that she was capable of blushing that hard.

While the workload was much greater than it had been at her old school, Laura loved the extra exercise, pushing her body and mind’s boundaries was exhilarating and her enthusiasm was catching, the other students began to push themselves harder as well. Coach Lawrence was amazed everyone’s improvement….and just how enamored her daughter was of the new girl.

Ever since that first sparring match between the two, Danny had been whipped. She was completely willing to follow the tiny karate-ka to the ends of the earth. Laura had also learned that it wasn’t unusual for Carmilla to only show up for sparring everyday and then go to do her own cardio at home or another gym. Laura bother adored and detested those occasions when she and Carmilla would spar. They were so evenly matched that each round was incredibly intense. Laura had been totally unaware that she was on par with THE Carmilla Karnstein. The downsides were that:

A.) She was always incredible,   
B.) Carmilla was also always a complete bitch about it, and  
C.) Laura always ended up with hurt feelings.

 

Carmilla was gradually learning to adjust to having Laura around as well. She had no idea of why the smaller girl might have such an effect on her except that she always either won their matches or came really close to winning. It was an aggravation and she most definitely didn’t like it. It irritated her that she wasn’t in control of her own feelings towards the tiny girl. It frustrated her that she couldn’t turn off her emotions when she wanted to. Sparring was usually her main way to vent and it usually worked, unless she caught a glimpse of Laura biting her lip in concentration or, or she flicked her hair, or raised an eyebrow at her. Then all bets were off. HEr heart would jump into her throat, her stomach would drop, and she would lose all semblance of reason. Those were usually the times she lost.

\-----/////------

Laura’s not wearing pants or a shirt when she walks in. Carmilla has seen her shirtless and pantless before and it’s always made her heart do somersaults in her chest, she’s pretty used to that by now. The kicker this time is that she’s frowning in concentration and biting her lip while trying to wrap a slightly swollen ankle. Unable to help herself, Carmilla kneels down in front of her and smacks her little hands out of the way.  
“You go this way first a few a times, and then you add the supports.” She corrects, doing her best to keep her eyes where they were supposed to be.

Carmilla’s hands were practiced and steady, her fingers long and nimble. She tied off the brace quickly and surprisingly gently before looking up at Laura for confirmation of something. 

“Yeah, uh, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.” Laura was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was sitting there in her underwear. Carmilla stood up and turned away to undress while Laura put on her clothes.

“Are you going on the beach trip?” the older girl asks.

“Uhm, yeah, I am. Are you?” Laura replies, surprised by the sudden amicable conversation Carmilla was making.

“Yeah, buckle up, Creampuff. It’s going to be a long week.” Carmilla warned her forebodingly before leaving the changing room so that Laura wouldn’t see her blushing.

“No kidding.” Laura mutters when Carmilla has left earshot. Carmilla, on the other side of the door stands grinning for a long time.

\-----//////------

“Hey, Perry, are you going on the retreat with us?” LaFontaine asks, their face still red from practice. Then again, they were usually at least a little bit red around Perry, weren’t they?

“I’m pretty sure that you would manage to die without me to patch you up all of the time. Of course I’m going to be there.” Perry says with a laugh, running her hand down LaF’s arm.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that I would too.” LaF chuckles back, flipping their hair out of their baby blue eyes.

“How do you like the new girl?” Perry asks, getting LaF a glass of water.

“Laura’s great. At first she seems all cute, sweet, fluffy, and innocent, but underneath all of that she’s as tough as nails. When Coach gives us a set of something to do, she tacks on an extra ten. It’s ridiculous.” LaFontaine says with an amazed shake of their head.

“A little more competition isn’t going to hurt anyone of you guys. Especially since she takes the time to help you learn more. Didn’t you say that she has some kind of awful crush on Karnstein? Does she feel the same way?” Perry asks.

“Laura told me about it. Apparently she was all set to win the U21 tournament last year, and the one who beat her out of it was Karnstein. She has both adored and despised our resident, drop dead gorgeous, rocks leather pants like a boss, champion, ever since.” LaFontaine explains.

“Does Carmilla like her the same way?” Perry asks, not wanting to give her crush the opportunity to excuse herself and leave.

“Laura doesn’t think so, but Carmilla has seemed so off lately that I’m not sure. Plus, Laura keeps complaining that she only calls her food related nicknames and never her actual name.”

“They totally like each other.”

“Yeah, the one I’m worried about is Danny.”


	3. 3

6 Degrees Separation - The Script

“But Mom, Why can’t it just be us girls and LaF this year?” Danny asks with a groan.

“You call yourselves the Summer Society because of this trip right? You and your college friends? Why change it now?” Coach Lawrence asks, without actually turning around to look at her daughter.

“No. We didn’t name it after the trip. The Summer Society was active before your mother was born. You’re not understanding me, Mom. No one at our gym but Elsie was ever a sister. She’s the only one. But all of the Zetas are going to be there. We’re going to be grotesquely outnumbered if something happens.” Danny protests.

“But you and that Kirsch boy used to be such good friends.” the Coach complained as she focused on making their ridiculously healthy dinner. “Have you been thinking about how you’re going to woo Laura Hollis onto our tourney team, yet?”

“No, but I’ve been thinking about it, don’t worry.” Danny reassures her. This is partly true. She has been thinking about wooing Laura Hollis...just not onto the team.

\-----/////-----

“Are you packed yet?” Laura’s dad yells up the stairs.

“Yeah, Dad!” she yells back.

“Did you remember your new swim suit?” he asks as he comes up stairs.

“Yes.”

“Sunscreen?”

“Yes.”

“Bear spray?”

“Yes.”

“Shark knife?”

“Yes, Daddy. I am prepared to be faced with any version of the apocalypse. I am going to be fine, trust me.” Laura says, tilting her head to the side and hugging her father.

“I know, I know, I just don’t like sending my baby girl off with a bunch of people that I don’t know very well. I know you can take care of yourself but a father worries.”

“I know you do, and I worry too. Find someone to spend tomorrow with. I don’t want alone all day. I’m going to be too busy to mope tomorrow, with the beach and the running and the exercise. So find something to keep your mind off of things and say “Hi and I love you” for me when you go see her.” Laura requested.

“Of course, baby girl. Anything for you.” Laura kissed her dad’s cheek and left.

\-----/////-----

Carmilla wasn’t on their bus, but Coach said that she would be meeting them there, when Laura asked. She was sharing a seat with Danny, the really hot assistant instructor and was across from LaFontaine and Perry who somehow still weren’t a couple. At some point Perry had fallen asleep and was cuddled against LaF’s arm, using it as a pillow and a teddy bear. Laura had taken a couple of pictures and now was deeply engrossed in conversation with Danny.

“So, how’d you get into this business?” Danny asked.

“My dad started me in Krav Maga when I was really young and I fell in love with it. I was really hyperactive and excitable and karate has been a great outlet for me, especially during high-school, and after...but, yeah! I love it.” Laura said.

“Have you ever been on any tournament teams?” Danny asked. She didn’t even actually want Laura on their tournament team. Laura was amazing at everything she already did, and Danny didn’t want to be the reason that her balancing act toppled over. She was in a lot of very intense tournaments already, points, solo, mid-range, open...and Danny was pretty sure that Laura also did form and other kinds of competition for the original arts she was trained in. It was definitely a lot. Danny loved watching Laura solo spar.

“No, but I’ve always wanted to try. Does Silas have a team?” she asked, her eyes lighting up, and Danny decided that another excuse to spend time with Laura wouldn’t hurt. Especially since the shorter girl seemed so enthusiastic about it.

“Yeah, we have a team. Guess who the Captain is?” Danny said with a smirk.

\-----/////-----

It was 1:30 in the morning when they finally arrived at the resort the Silas group and the Zetas were renting together. LaF and Perry had slept the entire way. Laura was trying, but Danny was a really active sleeper, so she ended up just closing her eyes and listening to music, having the moment to herself was relaxing. Yet somehow as soon as she was about to fall asleep, the bus jerked to a halt. She almost cussed aloud as everyone else popped awake.

\------////////------

"You alright?" Danny asked when she saw the frustrated look on Laura's face. 

"Yeah, I just don't want to be awake right now. Let's get off of this dratted bus." Laura mumbles as they climb off.

“Danny, wow, this place is amazing.” Laura says, grabbing her arm.

“Yeah, it’s alright. You get used to all of the awesome when you’ve been coming here to be tortured for seven or eight years straight.” says a voice that definitely does not belong to Danny. Laura drops Carmilla’s arm like it’s burned her and backs away from the older girl.

“Hey, Carm.” she says awkwardly.

“Hey, Cupcake.” Carmilla replies with a quirk of her mouth that could almost pass for a smile.  
“But, I actually love this place. The way I can always find someplace to be alone relaxes me.” Carmilla says and immediately feels a pang in her ches, wanting to know what’s wrong and how she can help. She hates how much she cares.

“And then there’s the hot springs…” Carmilla trails of and starts to walk away, but Laura stops her.

“Hey, after we put all of our stuff away and get set up...do you want to take me to the hot springs?” she asks, her cheeks going fifty shades of pink.

“Sure thing, Sundance.” Carmilla said looking very confused.

\------//////-----

“Everybody’s heading to the hot springs, you said you wanted to come?” Carmilla asked from Laura and LaF’s dorm-room door-way.

“Sure, just let me get my suit.” Laura replied with a grin, happy that Carmilla had thought of her, and suddenly a lot less exhausted.

“Oh, no, Cupcake, you won’t be needing any of those.” Carmilla chuckled wickedly, plucking the blue suit from the new girl’s hands.

‘Why in hell or Hogwarts, not?” Laura asks looking really freaked out. 

‘We literally go in there to take baths and hang out. Naked. Like in an actual bathtub. WIth soap and shampoo.” Carmilla dead-panned even though her inner self was laughing herself to tears at the look on the younger girl’s face. She had long ago learned to repress those sorts of outrageous feelings.

“You’re kidding.” Laura said, still horrified at the thought of being naked in front of all of her friends...Danny...Carmilla.

“Nope. Now come on. Everyone is going to have stolen all of the good spots.” Carmilla said, grabbing Laura’s wrist and dragging her behind her.

“My key!” Laura protests.

\-----/////-------

“Carm, I don’t think that I can do this. a wide eyed Laura said, standing maybe three feet away from her sparring partner. She was clutching an olive green tank-top to her chest, her tshirt already neatly folded and put in the locker. Carmilla had already cursed that tank top so many times.

“Why not? This has been a school time honored tradition for years.” she asks, her eyes devouring and memorizing the way Laura’s lip looked as she nervously bit it, all of the expanses of exposed skin….

“I’m not sure that I’m comfortable with everyone seeing me naked.” Laura admitted, heaven knows why, she didn’t even like Carmilla.

“Why? Theses are your friends, people who, in the four weeks you’ve been here, have already begun to treat you like you’re a part of some little family that they’ve formed. I’ve been with them for four years and they don’t even ask how my day was.It’s not like you have anything under your clothes to be ashamed of. Wear a towel until you’re in the water and the steam will cover you the rest of the time.” Carmilla said as she pulled off a pair of tight black jeans and unceremoniously shoved them in a cubby as Laura tried to tear her eyes from her lacy, black, boy short style panties.

“Enjoying the view?” Laura’s eyes snapped away as she grabbed a towel from the rack and laid it over the bench and pulled her own jeans off.

Carmilla had learned that no matter how much her partner clearly wanted to, she never gave in to her urge to watch Carmilla undress, so she was completely free to enjoy the view she had of Laura nervously undressing, and wrapped in only her own towel, memorized each flex and relaxation of Laura’s body. 

“Ready yet, Creampuff?”


	4. 4

2 Is Better Than 1 - Boys Like Girls

"Oh, my God. This is heaven on earth" LaFontaine moans, enveloped up to their very red ears in hot water. 

"Holy shit, legs, boobs, naked 5’2 goddess headed this way at 11 o’clock.” Danny said, having to slouch down into the water and hold her knees up to her chest so that everyone would have room to sit in the small pool.

“Did she and Carmilla just come in together?” asks Perry. “LaFontaine, you didn’t mention how hot the new girl is.”

“I did like twelve times.” LaF protests.

“Whatever.” Perry teases and LaFontaine smacks her arm gently. “Why don’t you let me wash your hair for you?” she asks and LaF gives her a grin that could blind a person.

“I’d love that, Perr.”

“Hey, New Girl, over here!” Danny calls and LaF gives Perry a pointed look.

“Hey, Danny.” Laura says and kind of nervously stands beside of the pool until everyone is looking away, despite the fact that she could still feel Carmilla’s burning stare on her. In the fastest movement of her entire lifetime, Carmilla was in the water beside of her and all anyone had seen was twin flashes of gold and white skin (or was it black and blue?) 

“Wow, this really is hot. I can’t believe it’s natural.” Laura says.

“Believe it, Creampuff. The Native Americans used to bathe here all of the time before white settlers came and fucked shit up.” Carmilla responded despite being completely aware that Laura’s statement had been directed towards Danny. 

“That’s amazing. This place is amazing.” Laura gushes, feeling a burning heat in the pit of her stomach and a dryness in her mouth that she attributed to being this close to a naked Danny Lawrence and multiple other nude attractive people whilst also being naked herself. The steam distorted the world, making it hard to keep up with where everyone was, almost like the whole pool was constantly swimming. She could hear Perry and LaFontaine laughing somewhere in the vicinity of the outdoor showers, but couldn’t strain her eyes enough to see them. Even Carmilla’s movements to her left seemed fuzzy as she folded her towel and laid her head back on it with a sigh.

“She has abused the word amazing since arriving here, Xena. Stop her before I drown myself. Carmilla complains, Laura began feeling light-headed and not in a good way, either.

“I’m still in awe every time that I come. How often do you find a place so perfectly placed between the beach and the mountains? It’s beautiful.” Danny says, completely unaware of Laura’s disorientation.

“Cupcake?.” Is all Carmilla manages to grumble out before realizing that Laura’s knee was bumping into her own as the smaller girl slides, unconscious into the water. 

“Laura!” she shouts, pulling her up by the armpit.

“Grab her, Danny!” Carmilla yells, jumping up out of the water and grabbing her up from Danny as she held her aloft, taking all of the small girl’s weight. Quickly and carefully she ran inside and laid Laura on one of the benches, checking her airways. Once it was established that she had no water in her lungs, Carmilla pulled a robe on herself and covered Laura’s important parts with a towel, as Danny and the others rushed in behind her.

“Get your mother. I’m taking her to our room.” Carmilla orders to Danny, her assigned roommate, when she walks in, stark naked, looking terrified. She lifts Laura again, as LaF and Perry enter, covered by wet towels. 

“What can we do?” LaF asks, holding Perry’s hand.

“Water and ice. We need to cool her down.” Carmilla requests. “Thank you.” she adds, unsure of why. 

“No problem.” they respond.

\------//////------

Carmilla lays Laura on her bed in the room she and Danny were meant to share. Hesitantly, she brushes wet hair out of the unconscious girl’s face.

“Oh, God, please.” she murmurs before going into the bathroom and grabbing up all of the towels. She pillows Laura’s head with one to keep the actual pillow dry and begins to dry her off, starting with her face, then arms, then legs. Perry, LaF, Danny and the Coach all stop by, but leave once Carmilla explains what happened and that since she had that entire car ride with nap stops, she was willing to keep an eye on her. It’s 2:30 in the morning and Carmilla has steel in her eyes and iron in her voice so everybody just goes with it. When everyone is out, Carmilla takes off her wet towel and pulls on a loose tee shirt and dries the rest of Laura with her eyes closed. She covers Laura with a dry towel and slider her underneath the sheet, not wanting to overheat her again, the ice pack Perry brought on the girl’s forehead and Carmilla periodically force feeding her water. Around 4:30 Carmilla finally decided that it was safe for her to finally go to sleep.

\-------///////-----

“Carmilla, what the frilly hell is this?! Am I...naked?!” Laura asks at 6 am when she wakes up.

“Laura?” Carmilla asks groggily, waking up stiff and sore and not at all rested.

“What is going on, Carmilla Karnstein?” Laura asks, her voice exhausted but still full of venom.

“Ugh, you passed out in the hot springs. I brought you here and cleaned you up. Go back to sleep. We have five more hours if we rush getting ready.” Carmilla answers, curling back into a ball in the chair.

“Get me water and a shirt and I’ll let you sleep in the bed. That looks hideously uncomfortable.” Laura requests, sitting yo and finding herself incredibly dizzy.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take it easy, Cupcake.” Carmilla says, jumping up to steady her.

“Right. Right. Just get in the damn bed before I change my mind.” she grumbles, her head pounding and making it hard to think. She groggily slides on some boy short panties and a tshirt. Carmilla also pulls on shorts and climbs into the bed beside of Laura. She makes a surprisingly good bed partner, allowing Laura as much blanket as she wants and not complaining when she only ends up with one pillow.

“Night, Creampuff.” she says before turning out the lights.

“Night.” Laura replies, unsure of why her heart is racing again. It feels like it is going the same rate it had been going before she passed out. “What’s everyone else up to?” Laura asks without thinking.

“I think that the rest of the dimwit squad went to bed after telling ridiculous ghost stories in the nonbinary one’s room.” Carmilla says.

“You didn’t go?”

“I stayed with you. They wouldn’t have wanted me in there with them, and you were probably better company anyway.” Carmilla says with a sigh. Laura sits up and looks at the other girl.

“That’s the second time that you have said something like that. What do you mean?” she asks, her eyes grazing over Carmilla. In the moonlight, her black long hair was in brilliant contrast to the white pillows, her pale skin making it seem as though she were glowing.

“I believe that it is quite plain how they feel about me. It’s okay, I’ve never been one for having many friends anyway.” she explains flippantly, rising up to her elbows to meet Laura’s expectant eyes.

“Why not? You aren’t completely awful company when you aren’t being snarky.

“I wouldn’t say that I am exactly the world’s most likable person, would you?” Carmilla asks with a scoff.

“Being friendly is a learned trait.” Laura replies softly, hypnotized by the eye contact combined with the moonlight and her own exhaustion. “Personally, I would find you quite likable if you would just make the effort.” she says and brushes dark hair out of Carmilla’s face, in almost the exact same way that Carmilla herself had done to Laura when the girl had been unconscious, her fingers trailing down her partner’s jawline, soft and tender against her skin. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling, leaning into it.

“Thanks.” Carmilla whispers.

“Eeeeeek!” someone shrieks in the hallway, making Laura jump on top of Carmilla in response as someone slammed their door open. For some reason the smaller girl’s automatic reaction was to feign sleep, even with her body almost completely on top of Carmilla’s.


	5. 5

Carmilla held her breath and did her best to act as though she were asleep, even as she felt all of the blood in her body rush to her face. None of this trip had ended up going as she had thought it would thus far. She suppressed a particularly angsty growl as she listened to Laura breathe and a rather inebriated sounding Danny style into their little dorm room and collapse onto the couch, hopefully going to sleep. 

Squirming a little, Laura realized that her arm was on something soft, very soft, she squinted one eye open only to realize that the soft things were breasts. Specifically Carmilla's breasts. She suppressed her own groan of embarrassment and attempted to move off of her a little. Somehow this elicited what almost like a moan or a groan from her sparring partner. Upon more explorations she found that her knee was in between Carmilla's legs and had probably massaged her more sensitive sections when she had moved around. Laura wasn't sure whether she be blushing or proud. Her face was already really red as she listened to the little sounds Carmilla made as they both tried to get comfortable and much less turned on by the situation. Laura forfeited eventually, settling her head against Carm's should've and going to sleep with her nose filled by Carmilla's unique scent of roses and sandalwood.   
\-----/////----

Getting drunk at a Zeta party was definitely not a part of Danny's game plan for the trip. She had been doing everything right. She was making all of the conversation centered around Laura while slowly allowing more and more of her own self through. Them Laura had passed out somehow in the bathroom when they were all naked and Carmilla Karnstein of all people got to play the hero. That would have been the perfect 'in' with her crush.

So, she had left in the middle of ghost stories to go be alone and think. Wandering under the stars had led her to the Zeta bonfire where she had been dragged into beer pong and shots with some of the 'more okay' dude-bros. No Kirsch sightings had been made until she was too far gone for it to hurt and immediately after she had made a far less than graceful exit.

She had hazily made it into the girl's rooms, and shrieked when she thought she a mouse through the haze covering her mind (it was probably just a shadow). When she went into her room, it was only to remember that she and Laura had switched rooms and she was supposed to be with LaF. The sight she had been met with had both disturbed her and broken her heart a little. Laura asleep without pants on, on top of an actually peaceful looking Carmilla. Danny's mind immediately jumped to the obvious conclusion and she went to sleep on the couch, unable to stay in the same room, and cried softly.

\-----/////-----

Laura and Carmilla woke up in the same position they had gone to sleep and Carmilla was incredibly grateful that Laura was so small. Her heart burned in her chest and she thanked God for the twisted circumstances that had gotten them into this position. However, any doubt in her mind that she didn't have feelings for the competition were erased as she enjoyed the feeling of Laura curled around and over her. 

The smell of her hair filled her nose each time she inhaled and Laura's breath skimmed over her throat each time the small girl exhaled. Everywhere they touched Laura's skin was softer than anything else that she had ever felt. Every moment they were near each other Carmilla fell harder. Her entire body ached from it. 

Laura had been awake for a while, her arms still stretched across Carmilla, comfortably pillowed on the other girl's breasts. At some point during the night she had unconsciously twined her body tighter around Carmilla's, her feet locked around one of her legs and their hips pressed against one another's. This crush continued to prove harder and harder to get over. She continued to feign sleep when Carmilla awoke and was surprised to find that the older girl stayed where she was and peacefully played with Laura's hair. The tiny girl nuzzled closer and dozed until she fell asleep again. 

\-----/////------

When Laura woke up again, she was alone. She pinched herself and shook her head to be sure that it wasn't all a dream, but no, her mind was full of the sensations of Carmilla's fingers in her hair and skin against hers. 

"Good morning, Danny. You didn't sleep in LaF's room?" Laura asks when they bump into each other in the hall as she goes to the bathroom.

"No, I opted to get wasted at the Zeta bonfire." Danny grumbles.

"You hate the Zetas." Laura points out in confusion.

"Exactly." The taller girl groans cryptically and shuffles into their room to change.

"So, how about last night?" LaF asks as they brush their teeth side by side. 

"What about last night?" Laura responds, suddenly anxious that someone had seen her and Carmilla looking like they were about to kiss 

"Carmilla playing knight in shining armor when you nearly drowned and then playing nurse with your unconscious naked self." LaF explains looking surprised that Laura didn't already know. "Nobody told you?"

"She saw me naked?" Laura squeaks. "She dried me off...naked? Everywhere?" Laura asks, trying to justify the many sides of Carmilla in her mind. 

"That's what I'm saying. She looks at you like you're God's greatest gift to mankind. But, she's the only one who saw everything. She was quite adamant about that. I kinda thought that she might pee on you or make you wear a sign that says 'MINE' on it in large letters." LaF chuckle at Laura's bright red face. 

"Oh, my, TARDIS." She sighs nearly unable to stand due to her intense embarrassment.

"I doubt that she would be mean about it or anything." LaFontaine tries to reassure her. 

"Yeah, I guess she's not that bad." Laura says, remembering how gentle she was as they spent the night together. 

"Yeah." LaF replies and they finish brushing their teeth in thoughtful silence.

\-----//////------  
"Oh, my God, kill me now." Laura pants, her lungs burning out of her chest from oxygen deprivation and her legs feeling like they were going to dissolve into a gelatinous mess. As soon as she was able she stopped and grabbed her water. Carmilla collapses beside of her and wordlessly nabs Laura's water bottle out of her hand. 

"Hey!" She complains. 

"You owe me your life. Water is the least you can do."Carmilla chides with a smirk.

"I guess." She replies and gets another out of the case. 

Carmilla drains her bottle and goes back to running the staircases with the others, making Laura wonder if she had only stopped to pick on her. The staircase that they are running is cut right into the mountain and once she had to wonder how Coach Lawrence had found this place. The two teams are surrounded by greenery and forest, the view was a gorgeous one of the ocean. The trees grew more and more lush the higher they climbed and when they reached the bottom they hit ocean water before turning and going back up. The staircase led up to a cave system where Coach Lawrence and the Zeta coach sat tracking their respective teams progress. 

Laura's feet pounded on stone as she shoved the burning in her legs to the back of her mind. She focused her eyes ahead of er, landing in her sparring partner, three or four sets of stairs ahead of her. She felt kind of wrong for using Carmilla's ass as motivation to keep going, but figured that if nobody knew it wouldn't hurt anyone. Those tiny black shorts of hers weren't helping matters. Then suddenly the ground wasn't underneath her anymore and someone's strong grip on her shoulders was holding her up. 

"Thanks..." She murmured, praying that Carmilla hadn't just saved her again. She looked up and locked eyes with a stranger, a shirtless, male stranger. “Laura.” she responded and took off running again, stuck behind some other shirtless Zeta instead of Carmilla’s back end.


	6. 6

Danny had thrown up four times, but understandably blamed it on the 100 degree heat. She had long ago learned to push through discomfort. Being the daughter of the coach was a natural way to learn these things. No excuse would ever be good enough to get out of beach training week. However, this particular exercise was her favorite because it involved Laura Hollis and a bikini.

“Hey there, Psycho Society.” said a familiar and unwelcome voice.

“Kirsch.” she replied as Elsie threw the beach ball to her and she roundhoused it over the blonde’s head.

“No need to be harsh.” he said with that wounded puppy dog look of his.

“You, Zeta. Me, Sum Soc. Every need to be harsh.” she explained harshly as she threw her own ball to the younger girl across from her.

“Come on, Psycho Society, I don’t see why we just can’t be friends...” Kirsch trailed off and Danny definitely didn’t notice how extremely muscular he was as he kicked the ball, so very different from the lanky boy she had grown up with.

“S.J. S.J is why we can’t be friends, Kirsch.” she replied sadly.

\-----//////-----

“You got carpet burn...from the sand?” Perry asked, putting neosporin on the scrape on LaFontaine’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess I did.” they reply with a sheepish grin, reaching with their uninjured arm to scratch the back of their neck. Perry can’t help but notice their fantastic jawline as they turn to watch their friends on the beach. 

“You amaze me.” Perry chuckles to blow off her staring, completely oblivious to LaF’s blush.

“Have you been getting enough water? Do you need to put on anymore sunblock?” she asks, everyone was stinky and sweaty and Danny had been to see her twice for some Tums.

“I’m good, thanks. I’d better get back before I’m missed. I’ll see you during the break though, yeah?” they ask.

 

“Of course.” Perry replies, and grins as she watches LaFontaine race to their place in line. She couldn’t imagine how they have the energy for all of this crap, but she definitely enjoyed the view.

\-----/////----- *Actual Break*

Carmilla had cursed that damn black and white bikini more times than she could count since they hit the beach. It was causing her chest pains to see how often the Zetas would check Laura out. she was totally aware of how attractive the smaller girl was, she just didn’t expect the raging jealousy that came with how often some douchebag guy would stop to flirt with her. It was much less problematic now that the game was over and Laura was out playing in the ocean with LaF, Danny, and Elsie. Though Danny could occasionally be almost as bad.

Carmilla really needed to find a new way to handle these ‘feelings’ she was having. If seeing other people look at or check Laura out in her bikini was enough to drive her into a jealous rage, she was much worse off than she had initially thought.

\------//////------

For not the first time Laura was struck by just how hot Carmilla actually was. At this particular moment, the older girl was relaxed underneath an umbrella, book in hand, sunglasses on, legs crossed in a solid black bikini that left almost nothing the the imagination, her body covered in a thin sheen of sunblock and sweat. She dry gulped almost every time her eyes strayed in her partner’s direction.

“Hey, guys? I’m going to go take a breather for a bit.” Laura announced, abruptly turning to shore. In what she hoped wasn’t too obvious a manner, Laura spread out her towel much too close to where Carmilla lounged. She splayed out on her stomach and pillowed her head on her arms for discreet crush watching as she dried out.

“You’re going to burn like that, Creampuff. When was the last time you put on sunscreen?” Carmilla asked, glancing at her over her shades.

“Before we ran the beach actually.” Laura confesses.

“Come here and I’ll do it for you.” carmilla offered pulling a tube from her bag.

“Sure, thanks!” Laura scrambled up and sat in the sand in front of the older girl’s chair.

“It’s not like you aren’t already tan enough.” Carmilla murmured.

“I like the way the sun feels on me.” She explained.

“There the two of us differ yet again. I burn much too easily.” carmilla replied as she took her time rubbing the cream into laura’s shoulders, enjoying the excuse for non-violent physical contact. The smaller girl practically hummed with pleasure as Carmilla massaged her way down her back.

“Want me to do you next?” Laura asked. 

“Sure thing, Cupcake.” she replied with a snicker at Laura’s choice of words, right as Coach Lawrence’s whistle shrieked.

“Alright ladies and gents and none and all of the above. Let’s play some volleyball! Team captains are Laura Hollis and Carmilla Karnstein. Pick your players.” she said before stealing Carmilla’s seat and sitting back to watch.

“Flip for first pick?” Laura asks Carmilla with a happy-go-lucky grin as she tied up her hair.

“Sure thing. Sundance.” carmilla replied with her classic smirk. The Zeta’s coach provided a quarter and the older girl expertly flipped it with one hand still on her hip.

“You go first, cutie.” she says.

“Okay, Danny!” she says, waving the taller girl over.

“Ridiculously tall, puppy dog Zeta-bro.” Carmilla says flippantly in reference to Kirsch.

“LaFontaine.”

“Elsie.”

“Natalie.”

“William.”

Carmilla and Laura went back and forth picking people for their team and they split to each side of the net with Laura serving first after a gracious nod from her fellow captain. Everyone was already exhausted beyond belief from the day’s training, but were much too competitive to give in very easily.The entirety of the game was neck to neck and each player had served only once and it was already nearly dark. The coaches leaned forward in their seats, it was so heated and Perry stood beside of them. The serve was with Elsie on Carmilla’s team and the two captains were facing off at the net.

Laura already knew that everyone on team ‘dark and broody’ would be underestimating her due to her height and sugary sweet personality, but she wasn’t worried. Volleyball had kind of been her thing until karate had gotten to the point that it had taken over her life. She was quite used to having anyone and everyone underestimate her and had long ago discerned how to use it to her advantage. Elsie served and it was short, falling right into Laura’s area. She sprung up, ready to tip it over , hopefully slipping right past Carm. Instead, as soon as Laura made contact, Carmilla was knocking it back at her, throwing her off balance. She ended up falling through the net and onto Laura, knocking the breath out of the smaller girl.

“Nice move, Karnstein. Now, could you please remove your hand from my breast?” she asked, her hair full of sand, her face flushed, and chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.


	7. 7

“How do they even manage to make falling over in the sand look like porn?” LaFontaine asked later, relaxing in the hot springs next to Perry, doing their best not to look anywhere where they weren’t meant to be looking.

“I have no idea, but it was hot. How were they not kissing? I think that everybody but Danny was rooting for them kissing. I know I certainly was.” Perry says with a teasing smile. they both catch a slight growl from Danny in the pool beside of them and try to hold back snickers.

“Sometimes I just wonder if anyone will look at me like that though.” LaFontaine murmurs and Perry almost missed it.

\-----//////------

“That was some killer ball out there, Cupcake.” Carmilla comments as she dangles her feet in the pool Laura was swimming in.

“Thanks. It was a hobby of mine in grade school.’ she chuckles. “You were pretty intense yourself.”

“I’m competitive.” she shrugs, enjoying her view of Laura, in that same bikini, floating on her back, the ridges of muscles in her abdomen obvious to the naked eye. Carmilla could easily recall the feeling of that soft skin and smell and the rush of her touch every second.

“You really are.” Laura chuckles.

“A hobby, huh?” Carmilla asks. “Have any other hobbies, cutie?”

“Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Supernatural…” Laura says with a blush, suddenly feeling really dorky.

“So, you’re a closet nerd?” Carmilla asks with a cheeky grin that left Laura unsure as to whether she wanted to smack her or kiss her.

“Not so closeted if you had ever taken an opportunity to get to know me, cutie.” Laura takes a jab at the older girl. Carmilla was both hurt and mildly turned on.

“Okay, tell me more then.” she responds with small smile.

“I’m an only child and I still live with my dad. My mom died when I was four, so, fifteen years ago today.” Laura trails off, remembering that she hadn’t yet taken any time to mourn. Laura pulls herself out of the pool and sits a couple of feet away from Carmilla, her head hanging and wet hair dripping.

“Are you okay?” Carmilla asks, her voice gentle and warm.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay.” Laura said mildly, her head still hanging and her hair hiding her face. Carmilla didn’t believe her and nudged closer, wrapping her arm around Laura’s shoulders.

“Sorry Sweetpea, but I don’t believe you. Do you want to talk about it?” she asks.

“It’s been...so long, and I feel like I should be over it by now, you know? She’s been gone for fifteen years and it hurts the same way that it did the day…” Laura tucked her head in between her knees and Carmilla’s heart broke for her young partner and she gently pulled her into her. Laura folded like paper and her entire body shook. Carmilla even cried a few tears for her friend, the first friend that she had had in a very long time. When she was all cried out Carmilla pulled Laura to her feet.

“Better?” she asks, tucking a fallen strand of wet hair behind Laura’s ear.

“Much. Bed now?” Laura replies, voice husky.

“Sounds nice. Your place or mine?” Carmilla teases with a sad grin that immediately lifts Laura’s spirits.

“Yours. I liked that shirt. I might have to steal it.” Laura replies, wiping a stray tear off of her face.

“I might just be okay with that.” Carmilla says as they walk back.

\------//////------  
Danny wanted to go somewhere quiet to be alone and think for a while. She wandered around outside for a while until she caught sight of a practically glowing Laura in the swimming pool. She was smiling, laughing, giggling and talking with someone. Danny had to wonder why she hadn’t ever seen this particular smile before. She glanced poolside from her hiding place and saw … of fucking course … Carmilla Karnstein. Even she looked happier than Danny had ever seen before. As she watched, try talked more and more until she saw Laura pull herself out of the water (damn those arms) and curl into a crying mess in Karnstein's arms. Danny wanted to believe that the older girl had been the cause of those tears, but she knew, deep down in the pit of her stomach that it wasn't true. She knew that Carmilla instinctively cared for Laura in a way that she was only beginning to scratch the surface of. When Carmilla began to cry as well, Danny couldn't take it anymore and returned to LaFontaine's room where she promptly cried herself to sleep. 

\------///////-------  
"Do you know tomorrow's schedule?" LaF asks Perry as they run their head with a towel, standing in the dressing room, shirt and bra-less as she came around the corner. 

Perry's eyes widen and she stared blatantly, unable to tear her eyes off of LaFontaine. 

"Uhm, yeah but, it's supposed to be a surprise." Perry says. 

"No big." LaF chuckles, pulling on a t shirt, as Perry blushes a bright red. 

"Alrighty, then." LaF says and just leans against the cubbies, their arms crossed, watching Perry be.

"What did you mean earlier?" Perry asks, the words jumping out of her mouth before she had time to think them through. 

"I'm...not sure what you're talking about there, Perr." LaF says in confusion.

"When you said that you weren't sure if anyone would ever look at you the same way that Laura and Carmilla look at one another. What did you mean?" Perry asks in a softer tone, wondering what was wrong with her that she had asked that.

"I'm not your average person, Perry. I'm not an easy person to fall in love with," LaF replies, a deep sadness in their eyes.

"I wouldn't say that." Perry objects. "You're brave, strong, kind, and gentle. There's a lot to love about you, LaFontaine."

"Thanks..."

"I still don't understand the question, though, when I've always looked at you like that." Perry says, cupping one of LaFontaine's cheeks in her hand and kissing their cheek before hurrying out of the room.

"Huh?" LaFontaine asks the empty room.

\-----///////------

Laura is asleep by the time Carmilla is done showering, her hair in a truly terrible bun on top of her head, as she hugs her ridiculously bright yellow pillow to her chest. After towel drying her hair, Carmilla slips in beside of her and wraps an arm around the sleeping girl's waist, sandwiching her between Carmilla and the ugly pillow. For the first time all day, Carmilla finally felt like she could breathe, slowly discovering that love could mean something besides heartbreak.

\-----/////-----  
"Summer Psycho? Danny?" Danny woke up to a kind voice and a gentle hand shaking her awake. 

"Hrmmhhh? Who the hell are you? What do you want?" Danny husks in her morning voice. 

"It's Kirsch. You're in my bed." He tells her as she rolls over, burying her face in the pillow.


	8. 8

"Danny, are you okay?" Kirsch asks, sitting on the bed beside of her. 

"I most certainly am not, you dumbass. Do 'okay' people often fall asleep in the wrong damn dorm room on whatever stupid ass planet you were meant to live on?" Danny grumbles, swinging her legs over the side of the bed so that they were sitting side-by-side.

"What's wrong?" he asks, wishing that he could comfort her, but also completely aware that she wouldn't be willing to accept any of his reassurance.

"The girl I like, she really likes someone else and they are sort of perfect for each other. I feel like crap for even still liking her when I see the way that they look at one another. The worst part is that she is so oblivious to the way that she is feeling that if I really wanted to I could steal her away in a heartbeat. But, it would be like getting in between Santana and Brittany, Piper and Alex, or Amy and Karma. And I have no idea why I'm telling you all of this." Danny groans, massaging her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"It's all good, Dan-O." Kirsch says, patting her knee. "It's Laura's loss anyway."

\------//////-----

Carmilla wakes up to Laura playing with her long black hair contentedly. 

"Sorry, I woke up, got bored, and didn't want to get up. Also, sorry about turning into a giant ball of feelings last night. I didn't mean to go berserk on you." Laura rambles to a bleary eyed Carm.

"No biggie, Cupcake." She mumbles, wrapping herself around Laura's yellow pillow. The smaller girl flops onto her back and stares at the ceiling. 

"No, don't stop that felt nice." Carmilla complains, winning a wide grin out of Laura who rolls back onto her side facing Carmilla to play with the silky soft locks once more.

"I told you about me last night. Now you have to tell me more about you." Laura asks.

“What do you want to know?” the older girl asks warily.

“Do you have any siblings? What do you do when you’re not fighting in tournaments, or training? Do you have any hobbies? What music do you listen to? What are your favorite T.V. shows, books, and movies?” Laura rattled off as Carmilla rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

“A brother, William. He’s a Zeta. My life kind of revolves around all of this but, I do love to play music, five instruments, actually. I guess that counts as a hobby? I don’t watch television all that much, but I do like documentaries, Vonnegut, and Sappho.” Carmilla replied with her eyes still closed.

“Your brother is here?” Laura asks, more questions than before racing through her mind.

“He’s a dick. You don’t want to meet him.” 

“What instruments do you play?” 

“Acoustic, electric, and bass guitar, piano, and violin.” Carmilla replied.

“Do you sing?” Laura asks.

“I’ve never really tried.”

“One day you’ll have to perform for me. My own personal concert.” she says and Carmilla can hear the smile in her voice so clearly that she doesn’t have to open her eyes to see it.

“That would either be very lovely or very awkward.”

\------//////------

LaFontaine was a very nervous mess of energy from the time they went to bed to the time… well, honestly, they were still a nervous mess of energy. They had no idea of what to say to Perry when they came across her. Their mind was still stuck on “Huh?”

Up until this point LaFontaine had had an entire plan laid out. It had included picnics, and fireworks, and maybe even a flash mob. (Though a flash mob might have just served to terrify Perry) But anyway, LaF had had big plans. Perry, (Wonderful, beautiful, and kind Perry) had managed to royally fuck that up.  
“Everybody load up!” Coach Lawrence shouted to everyone in the co-ed mess hall. With a grumble, LaF put their plate in the bin and joined all of the others in getting onto the bus for the journey to whatever surprise, torturous training activity they were being shipped off to that day.

\-------///////-------

“It’s so pretty!” was Laura’s immediate response when they entered the warehouse style building. Carmilla chuckled at the typical ‘Hollis-ism’. When Laura turned to look at her, she pushed past and to the front of the group in her typical rude fashion. The entirety of the room was covered in colorful balloons, including the walls and ceiling.

“That must have taken a while.” LaFontaine muttered beside of her.

“Definitely more than just the two of them.” she replied thoughtlessly. LaF stared at her in confusion for a moment.

“Your girlfriend probably had a hand in this.” Carmilla teased amiably, startling them more.

“Alright, everybody! I know that you are all probably still exhausted and sore from yesterday! Especially your legs! SO as a gift to you all, this is your only exercise for the day, but you do have a catch. You are done as soon as every balloon is popped. The catch: you can’t use your hands. Have at it kiddos.” Coach Lawrence announced before leaving them alone, knee deep in latex, brightly colored orbs.

“You could drown, Laura. Be careful.” Danny teased. 

“You stop that, let’s get this over with.” Laura answered good-naturedly. “This actually doesn’t look all that bad” she said before attempting to stomp on a balloon and collapsing onto Elsie when she sent it flying out from underneath her.

“You klutz.” LaFontaine laughs, helping her up. Carmilla smiles a little before pulling off her boots and socks. She knocks some balloons off of a chair and tucks a pen between her toes. With a loud ‘pop’ she explodes all of the balloons in her near vicinity.

“Voila. Each trap has a loophole.” she says with a smirk.

“You’re a genius, Carm.” Laura says, hopping around on one foot, trying to pull off her socks and shoes.

“Don’t kill yourself, Cupcake.” Carmilla says with an eyeroll. Laura blushes but smiles at her anyway.  
LaF roundhouses a balloon into Laura’s direction and the small girl are kicks into the ground where it pops.

“You’re a little bit terrifying, you know that, right?” Danny asks, occupying herself by trying to swing kick a balloon down from the ceiling. Her sore legs, however were having none of it.

“If we can get the floor cleared off, Carmilla and I can get you those down.” Laura says.

“We can?” Carmilla asks, confusion plain on her face.

“Reverse turn jump axe.” she suggests.

“How in the world are you going to do that? I can’t even get up there.” Danny asks as everyone turns to look at them.

“It’s this crazy ass move someone pulled off at this tournament the both of us were competing in.” Laura explained without looking away from Carmilla.

“Right, that girl totally looked like she was flying.” Carmilla agrees. “And if we break it down enough, I’m sure that a couple of you guys could pull it off as well.”

This earns Carmilla a few shocked looks, but she ignores them and continues clearing the floor with the others.

“It looks like you’ve started to rub off on her, Frosh.” LaFontaine says with a knowing grin. 

“No, I think that she’s just showing her true colors. She’s really nice and smart if you make an effort to get to know her. I kind of get the feeling that not that many people ever have.” Laura said, cutting her eyes sideways at her friend. 

It was an accusation and LaFontaine knew it, but it was also true. Everyone had been terrified of Carmilla Karnstein. She was talented, outrageously good-looking, strong, intimidating, and early on let it be known that she took no shit from anyone. Maybe they could have put out a friendlier hand, but they had been given no reason to think that it would have been accepted. LaF ran a hand through their short red hair.

“You’ve got a point, Pipsqueak.”

\-----/////------

“You are going to get yourselves killed.” Danny said, standing where they estimated Laura would land.

“I hate to agree with Clifford, but why do you have to be the one to test this hare brained theory out? I’m more than willing.” Carmilla protests

“We’ve been over this. Danny can catch me much more easily if this ends up going south.” Laura says with an eyeroll as she pulls off her t-shirt and put it to the side so it wouldn’t get in her way. Her classmates lined the walls to stay out of the way as well, watching her take deep steadying breaths, plant her feet, and unclench and clench her hands.

“Screw it.” she mutters before taking a short running start. Laura pitches herself forward and launches off of her hands, swinging her foot in an arc as she did so, her hair whipping around her. She felt like she was flying. The balloon pops with a resounding crack, as she comes around full circle and lands in a crouch on the balls of her feet.

“That was fucking amazing.” LaFontaine cheers over the applause.

“You okay?” Carmilla asks, gripping Laura’s forearms and helping her to stand.

“Did I hit anything?” Laura asks, completely unaware of the admiring glances she was receiving from everyone in the room.

“You hit four but that leaves like twenty-six more.” Carmilla says with approval and admiration in her eyes.

“I can probably pull that off twice more without killing myself.” Laura offers.

“If I stand on a chair I can probably knock a couple more down if someone spots me.” Danny adds.

“You take a break Laura, and spot me. I don’t want you stealing my badass reputation.” says Carmilla with a faux accusing glance at Laura.

“And I’ll spot Danny.” LaF offers.

“If nothing else I’ll make for something soft to land on.” Laura jokes. “But I guess you already know that, don’t you?”


	9. 9

"I'm never moving again." LaF moans from the cold concrete floor. 

"Me either." Danny agrees. 

"But a bath would be nice." Says Laura. "Only with less fainting this time." 

"Please don't, I'm still recovering from last time." Carmilla snarked, her head pillowed across Laura's abdomen. 

"Thanks for that by the way. I guess that I kind of owe you my life now."

"Don't mention it. Big Red did most of the leg work."

"Thanks Danny."

"Yeah, whatever." The tallest girl replies with a blush. "Thanks for saving Laura, Karnstein. I was completely frozen."

"Yeah, thanks, Karnstein." LaFontaine adds with a meaningful look towards Laura.

"Good God, guys. I only did it so that she would owe me forever and bake me cupcakes until I die." Carmilla said softly, earning her a smack in the shoulder from Laura. "But you're all welcome."

"We brought water and snacks!" someone announced from the now open doorway.

"Perry, I love you." Said Laura, making grabby-grabby motions with her hands from her spot in the floor.

"What did the four of you do to yourselves this time?" The nurse asked. 

"I stood on a chair and did swing kicks." Danny answers, cramming Goldfish into her mouth. 

"I caught her when she fell down...twice. You don't even want to know about the crazy shit the other two idiots were doing." LaFontaine said, staring up at Perry like she was an angel come to save them all.

"I'm not sure if I want to drink the water or just cuddle it." Laura mumbles

"You guys made this a lot harder than it needed to be, didn't you?" Perry asks. 

"Honestly, yeah. If I had taken a couple of minutes I probably could have come up with some much better ideas." She answers. 

"I'm in a room full of hot and sweaty women and I'm more disturbed than turned on." Danny complains. "Honestly, we are disgusting."

"Drink your water, pee, and eat then get your tails on the bus." Perry ordered.

"I don't think that our legs will hold us." Carmilla says drily. 

"And if they do they will be in a lot of LaFon-pain." LaFontaine joked as they stood and tried to pull their teammates up. 

"You're the only person I know willing to make crappy puns out of their own name." Laura groans.

"What can I say, I've got LaFon-game."

"That sucks." Carmilla says grumpily.

\-------//////-------

"Uh, LaF, I um..."Perry stopped them as they were about to follow the others into the bus. 

"Yeah, Perr?" They ask, turning to face the nurse.

"I'm sorry if yesterday freaked you out or anything, I wasn't thinking and - hmph?!" Perry was cut off by a very tired and sore LaFontaine kissing her, pressed between them and the bus.

"Definitely not freaked out. A little surprised maybe, but not at all freaked out." LaF explains. "Maybe we can finish this conversation in private later when I'm cleaner and smell better." 

"I would like that a lot." Perry answers with a wide grin.

\------/////-----

"So what did you guys do?" Kirsch asked. The Zeta Omega Mu's were all already on the bus and seated in the back making all kinds of noise. 

"They locked us in a building filled with hundreds of balloons and told us to pop them without using our hands." Danny replies. 

"Why do you all look so exhausted then?" He asked, making his confused puppy dog face. 

"They were taped to the ceiling and walls. We had to get them down with our feet. It's much harder than it looks." She groaned, sinking down into her seat and curling into a ball as much as her long legs would allow. 

"Go ahead and sleep, I'll leave you alone." Kirsch said, playing with her hair. 

"Thanks."

\------/////------

"If I promise not to drown can you come with me to the hot springs?" Laura asks.

"Why do you need me to go if you aren't going to drown?" Carmilla asks in her usual teasing way. 

"Maybe I actually enjoy your company for some strange reason?" Laura responded, equally teasingly.

"How quaint." Carmilla replies, nudging the smaller girl with her shoulder. 

"But you like me anyways." Laura said before going to grab all of her bathing stuff.

"And you aren't nervous at all?" Carmilla asks. "Last time you almost died."

"Not at all. I trust you to take care of me. Come what may." Laura says, nudging her back. 

"Of course." Carmilla replies begrudgingly, running her hand down her face and hugging Laura's shoulders. 

"You're not nearly as cold, cruel, and hard as you make yourself out to be." She comments, looking up at Carm with adoring brown eyes as they step into the changing rooms. 

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She asks. "Getting disenchanted, Cupcake?" 

"It's a very good thing." Laura says as they change facing away from one another. "Everyone would like you if you showed them the Carmilla that I know."

"You're the single most... Optimistic person that I've ever met." Carmilla says, obviously avoiding what Laura had said.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Laura giggles ,wrapping a towel around herself and turning to see Carmilla bent over pulling her panties down slender and muscular legs. She dry swallows and whips her head back around, probably blushing beet red. 

"You ready, cutie?" Carmilla asks. 

"Ye-yeah." She stutters, turning slowly back around. Carmilla was covered in a towel as well now and followed the blushing younger girl out to one of the pools. Laura hadn't considered how much more easily she'd be able to see everything out in the daylight. A Japanese style fence surrounded the stone pools, blocking prying eyes. Carmilla and Laura are alone for the time being, having come straight to the pools after getting their stuff. Laura sits on the edge, dangling her feet in the scalding water. 

"Go ahead, I'm not looking. You'd think I haven't seen you naked before or something." Carmilla teased. Shamelessly, Laura blushed even harder and let the towel fall gently, almost putting on a show, able to feel Carmilla's eyes watching her every movement, both girls with bated breath. 

"Good Lord, Sweetpea. You are going to be the death of me." Carmilla murmurs under her breath before slipping in beside Laura much more closely than necessary. Then again, Laura was necessary.


	10. 10

Carmilla swiped a droplet of water off of Laura's jawline with her thumb as their faces colored from the heat. They were slowly leaning in and Laura could feel Carmilla's nose brush her own softly and their knees bumping together under the water.

"Oh my goshhh, this is going to feel so good." LaFontaine shouted as they slammed the bamboo screen door behind them and rushed into the steamy area, followed by 3 or 4 other students as Laura and Carmilla jumped apart. Carmilla almost laughs at Laura's horrified expression, and again when Laura blushes, grins, and splashes her. Danny, LaF, Perry, and Elsie soon joined them and Carmilla shut down again, sitting quietly with one hand resting on Laura's knee, except for the occasions when she felt the need to interject with a snarky comment. 

"Please tell me we aren't doing anything tomorrow. I swear your mother is trying to kill us all." Laura groans, her legs, back, and shoulders aching. 

"Tomorrow we're sparring out on the beach." Perry tells them, met with groans from everyone.

"Tomorrow I won't be able to move, much less hit anyone." LaFontaine grumbles. 

"I know, sweeties. I know." Perry replies running the back of LaF's head. They tilt their rad back they practically purr.

"Laura?" Danny whispers from the side currently not occupied by Carmilla. "Is she asleep?" 

"I think so." Carmilla replies, checking the time and tilting her head to get a better view of Laura's head against her shoulder.   
"Yeah, she's asleep."

\-----:///////----- 

"Laura, there is no way that I'm carrying you to our room again. Get up, cutie." Carmilla murmurs. "Do you want everyone to see you naked again? Come on." She encouraged. Carmilla climbed out behind the sleepy younger girl and wrapped them both in towels. "Let's get you in bed, Creampuff." Laura stumbles ahead of Carmilla and dresses languidly. 

"Okay, you're taking way too long." Carmilla pulls Laura's tank top on over her head for her, letting her stick her arms through on her own. Going back on her word, Carmilla knelt durn and carried Laura piggy-back style to their room. She was acting downright baked.

"You're really pretty." Laura murmured to her, twisting the little black curls at the nape of Carmilla's neck in her fingers.

"You are too, Buttercup."

"No, but you're like really pretty. Like magazines only much more realer. Like people look twice when you walk by, and you've got that kind of insane confidence that makes people get out of your way when you walk down the street." She says right into Carmilla's ear. 

"We're here, sweetheart. Hop down." Carmilla says back with a light brush. 

"Why? I like being close to you." She asks. 

"Get down and get ready and I'll sleep with you, as close as you want, okay?" The older girl offers. Laura slides down and presses a kiss to her cheek before dragging herself into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Carmilla blanches for a moment and shakes her head before following her. 

Laura was asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow. Carmilla slid in as quietly as she could beside of her and was completely still as she allowed Laura to wrap herself around her. She brushed some hair out the tiny girl's face and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

"Night, Cupcake." She whispers . 

"G'night, Carm."

\----////-----  
"They're actually going to kill me, I don't understand how she's such a bitch to everyone, but then Laura comes in and... No, no, no, the issue here is how well I understand, except that I'm so nice and I don't understand why she wouldn't pick me." Danny whined.  
"Come on, Dan-Dan, you're sloshed. Thanks, Kirsch." LaFontaine said, grabbing her wasted roommate's arm to guide her into the room.

"No, I want Brody to stay with me!" Danny complained. 

"Don't call me that, Danielle." 

"You don't even like him." LaF protested.

"Of course I like Brody. We're best friends. We aren't going to let a little thing like sex and the death of our mutual girlfriend get in the way of that are we?" She asks in what's clearly a very bitter tone.

"Mutual girlfriend?" They ask. 

"Long story." Says Kirsch. 

"Not so long, really." Interrupts Danny.

"You remember Sarah Jane? She was cheating on me with this lumberjack and he didn't know I was dating her and I didn't know that she was dating him and we got in this huge fight and then there was the car accident and I was very sad and very confused and now there's Laura who's also very sad and confusing. So I guess that I'm still sad and confused. But I missed Kirsch. He was nice."

"I'm still nice, Danny." Kirsch tells her, ruffling her hair because he doesn't know what else he can do or say.

"Yeah, yeah you are. I'm not so very nice anymore though. I look nice and I act nice but I'm not so very...nice." Danny murmurs as LaF pushes and guides her to the bed. 

"You can go Kirsch. I've got this,"

\------//////------

"I don't think that I've ever slept any better than that before in my entire life." Laura tells Carmilla the next morning.

"Good, because you were so ridiculously punch drunk last night. Do you remember much of it?" The older girl asks when Laura sits up and off of her.

"To be honest idiot remember much of anything beyond the piggyback ride and getting naked." She says with a grin. Carmilla's disappointed but her expression betrays nothing of what she might be feeling. Laura immediately recognized the expression of cold indifference and wonders what she'd done wrong. Unsure of how to react she settled back down against her, gratified when her expression warmed over again and laced their fingers together. They played with one another's hair and hands quietly until they fell back asleep.

\------/////-------

LaFontaine was on top of the world the next morning with Perry curled around them the next morning. She was still fast asleep and her warm breath tickled LaF's hair when she exhaled. They hadn't ever felt contentment like this before. They laid there, staring at the ceiling and stroking Perry's hair until she woke up on her own. 

"Morning, sweetie." They murmur softly. 

"Hey, how long have you been up?" Perry asks. 

"45 minutes, maybe an hour." LaF replies, getting out of bed and pulling a shirt on. 

"You should have gotten me up." She protests. 

"Nah, you were cute, you snore a little and it's adorable and soothing. I was comfy and you were comfy LaF says. "You okay? Like after last night, I mean." They ask as they pull on their shorts.

"I'm good, actually. If never done anything like that before but it was probably one of the best nights of my life." Perry reassured them.

"Good." LaF says with a grin. Perry rolls back over and buries her face in a pillow while they brush their teeth. 

"I'm going for a run before the beach gets crowded." LaFontaine says before leaning over Perry and kissing her forehead. 

"Be safe." Perry mumbles. LaF chuckles and leaves. 

\-----//////-----

Danny tagged along when she saw LaF leaving. She had woken up early, needing to throw up from her hangover. She spent an hour throwing up before going to the common room for some alone time. She had desperately needed to get her thoughts sorted, and some decisions needed to be made. When LaF had come through and mentioned going for a run, and Danny had jumped at the chance. Exercise was the only way she really understood to deal with all of her feelings.

Her feet pounded the cool sand, a pace or two ahead of LaF, soothingly rhythmic. The constant ache in her legs was a reassurance, a reminder to hold her down to the ground. Her long legs were always an advantage when running. She was able to outrun nearly anyone, using only half of the effort. In another life she could have been a track star.


	11. 11

"Alright ladies, gather around. LaF, gents, you too." Coach Lawrence called around noontime at the beach. The adults had come early and set up the ring. Someone had set up four poles in the sand, and ropes connected them the same way it would look in a boxing match. Everyone was dressed out, Laura wore a light blue tshirt style rash guard, and black shorts. Carmilla as usual, was in all black. LaF was in dark blue and Danny was in the official Silas rash guard. 

"We're going to be doing this Champion: school on school style, alright guys?" Coach asked. "Since she's the newbie, I'd like to start with Ms. Hollis for my first pick." Coach Lawrence says with a smirk. 

"Will Eisen."

Carmilla made a sound like she had been punched in the gut. 

"What's wrong, Carm?" Laura asks as she pulls on a pair of gloves.

"Will's my brother." She mutters.

"I'll be sure not to hurt him too badly then." Laura says cockily, finally in her element.

"No,please kick his ass as hard as you would like." Carmilla encourages, patting Laura's shoulder.

"Your wish is my command, fair lady." Laura replies with a cheeky grin, before running to jump into the ring to the sounds of cheers from all of the girls surrounding the makeshift stadium. 

"Alright, just like in a normal tournament. Same rules, same points system, and same time limit." The Zeta coach reminded them all.

"Bow." Coach Lawrence said.   
"Touch gloves." She ordered.   
"And begin."

Will struck forward immediately with a turn swing kick aimed for the small girl’s head, his intent clearly to knock her out and be done with the match. Laura ducked automatically and lashed out with a hook to the stomach, when he blocked it, she leapt into a side kick aimed for his head that barely missed. He returned with an axe kick that would have broken Laura’s collar bone if she hadn’t caught it. Will’s face dropped when he realized that he was screwed. From the girl’s (And LaF’s) side of the ring, Carmilla winked at him when they made eye contact. Laura whips her body around and simultaneously tosses Will over her shoulder. He hits the sand hard, a puff of the fine grit spraying into the air around him. He coughs when he gets his bearings, as Laura backs away to give him some room to get up, accepting the point she was awarded with a serious nod.

Will’s face contorts with rage, knowing that he has as good as lost already. HE’s not even stood all of the way up before he is charging her, aiming his body for a tackle. He runs and Laura merely side-steps, and turns the kick into a turn crescent kick, forcing him face first into the sand.

“Break!” Coach Lawrence yells. Laura kindly offers Will a hand in getting up that he bats away before jumping out of the ring and stalking off to see Perry. All of the girls applauded such a quick win.

“First match to Silas and Hollis!” Coach Lawrence announces. “Your next pick, Zeta?” she asks. Laura takes that as her dismissal and begins to leave the ring.

“No, no.” Coach Lawrence stops her. “You’re going up until you lose.” she explains.

“Oh, crap.” Laura mutters, already sweaty. She would have handled that last match much differently if she had been aware of that. Her legs felt like jelly again, already.

 

“Who thinks that they can handle the heat?” Coach Lawrence shouts MC-style. The girls and even some of the guys, shout and clap for her. Laura’s heart pumped hard against her chest, adrenaline shooting through her veins and making her jittery. A much larger boy jumped into the ring, vaulting over the ropes as though they weren’t there. Laura locked eyes with Carmilla through the throngs of people, strangers passing by on the beach joining in to stop and watch. Carmilla gives her a nod and half of an encouraging smile before she faced her opponent. They bow and touch gloves respectfully and Laura goes on the defensive for the first time with Carmilla spectating. He’s maybe six foot four and Carmilla worries that if he manages to hit the tiny speedster that she wouldn’t be getting up for a while. He had the kind of raw muscle power that had the capability to breaking bone.

Laura is blocking everything he throws at her, not countering unless she has a very obvious opening. Carmila finally catches onto the blonde’s plan when she hears the big guy roar. Laura is angering him, a vein is popping out on his forehead and sweat is dripping down into his face. His punches are wild and aimless, no longer coming anywhere near the tiny girl. A rush of pride floods the champion as she catches a glimpse of a smirk on Laura’s face. The fool drops down low and rushes her. She side steps and lets his momentum carry him out of the ring with a perfectly executed hip toss.

“Two, Hollis!” yells Coach Lawrence, and all of the girls cheer again while the guys shake their heads in shame of their not very sharp cohort. Laura doubles over, a stitch in her side from not breathing properly.

“You alright, Shorty?” Danny asks, having pushed her way up to the front, flanked by Perry and LaFontaine. Laura could still see Carmilla over their shoulders, waiting for an answer.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m all good. Don’t … call me Shorty.” she gasps out, not paying attention to what either coach was saying. This time they put an even larger guy up against her.

“What are they feeding you guys?!” Laura grumbles, getting laughs from just about everybody. She attempts to use the same techniques on this guy, but he seemed much smarter than the last meathead, and he even managed to catch Laura unawares with a snap kick to her head, knocking her back into the rope barrier. She moans, her head spinning and rubs at her eyes before standing up to continue on.

“Okay, Hollis. get a grip.” she mutters to herself. “Okay, grip gotten.” she says, despite still seeing stars. She tilts her head around, eliciting some truly awful cracking noise, before she turns the brunt of her attention to the opponent in front of her. Still, she could feel Carmilla’s gaze on her, and the worry that radiated off of her friends.

She started in as though she had lost her temper with a sidekick, when in actuality, she was as cool as a cucumber on the inside. When he side-stepped and blocked, she brought a hammer fist down on his collarbone, while also driving her heel into the inside of his of his knee, automatically forcing him to the ground where Laura could force him down the rest of the way, bending his arm back on him, until he tapped out. Being her usual, much too good to be true, self, Laura stood from the sand and extended a hand to help him up. For once, Laura’s opponent actually took the hand she offered, and the tiny girl felt a rush of affection for the stranger. Then, his grip hardened and she felt herself being yanked from her feet and her face being filled with sand.

“Oh, HELL no!” came the shout from the girls’ side, and four angry girls stood, hands on hips to face down the perpetrator, all of them having vaulted over as soon as the incident occurred.

Carmilla and LaFontaine flanked Danny as Elsie helped Perry pick up Laura as the small girl spluttered, her mouth full of sand and her eyes on fire.

“Apologize.” Danny orders, having already stepped into a fighting stance.

“I don’t want him to apologize. I want to crush him like the scumbag he obviously is.” LaFontaine grounds out. However, the culprit isn’t nearly as scared of the yelling adults who are being held back by teenagers waiting for their own to deal out justice in their own way or the two angry red heads who clearly want his head on a spike, he is much much more scared of the dark haired girl who has remained completely silent through the entire ordeal. 

Carmilla is standing in a completely normal position her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes are as cold as ice though and raw power comes off of her n wavers, she stes past LaFontaine and Danny who looks like they are about to let loose on the guy.

“No, no, let me.” she says, putting a hand on LaF’s shoulder gently, and brushing softly past. The crowd hushed as Kirsch and Will stepped into the ring to stop the douchebag from trying to escape.

"Do you know who I am?" Carmilla asked, her voice simultaneously silky soft and as hard as iron.

"Carmilla Karnstein." He choked out as he began to backpedal in an attempt to get away, but Kitsch and Will blocked him and shoved him back towards her.

"That's right. I'm Carmilla Karnstein. I have taken down jackasses twice your size, five times your skill level, and ten times as intelligent. If I were in your position, I would be on my knees begging for the scary girl in black's forgiveness and the chance to make it up to her. Don't you think?" She asks, her voice scarily calm.

"I have to agree with the champ. I would be pleading for my life. You see, we have an almost creepy affection for that tiny fighter you've tossed into the sand, and you should that we don't care for just anyone the way we love her. She's special. She's strong while still being gentle, caring without being soft. She's the strongest steel inside and at some point she became CARMILLA FREAKING KARNSTEIN'S pet. So beg, and make it believable." LaF growls, clearly very very angry at the way her friend had been treated. 

"Guys, stop it." Laura says from behind them, finally standing in her own. Her eyes were an angry red around her honey brown irises, and she had a bleeding scrape on her cheekbone. 

"Laura..." Danny murmurs.

"All three of you. I don't need protecting. Get out of the ring." She orders and everyone obeys but Perry, Kirsch, and Will.

"Thanks, Perry. I'll be in to see you after I kick this guy's ass. Kirsch, William, if you don't mind to continue doing what you are doing." Laura requests, rubbing at her eyes. They do as they are bid, too scared to say anything any else. Laura was truly terrifying when angry and the force waving off of her was enough to make Carmilla herself flinch away.


	12. 12

The cut on the small girl's cheek stung like mad, and every now and then a trail of blood would run down her cheek, spinning her into a rage all over again.

"Rematch. Here and now, no holds barred. I want you to give me everything you've got. Elbows, knees, punches to the face, and everything else you have in your arsenal. Winner gets gloating rights. Deal?" Laura asks, holding her hand out to shake, in the same trusting way she had offered to help him up. This time he took her hand and shook once, amazed by the smallness and softness of her hands and the strength of her grip. For the first time Derek Robinson thought he might have done the wrong thing. On top of it all he was kind of terrified that he was about to get his ass kicked, another unfamiliar feeling for the large boy. He had always been a popular fighter due to his size. So much so, that he had been given the nickname of Mountain Man. He stepped away from the two boys holding him in the ring and took his fighting stance hesitantly. 

"I'm kind of scared for the poor bastard." Carmilla murmurs to no one in particular. 

"Why? It's not like Laura will do him any serious damage." LaF asks, surprising Carmills.

"You don't feel that coming off of her?" Carmilla asks, the waves coming off the girl enough to make her queasy. 

"Feel what?" LaF asks. 

"It's like a wave of power. When you're facing someone down in a sparring match and they’re staring you dead in the eye and you feel that thrill of fear and power run down your spine… it’s like that, only Laura is absolutely radiating it right now.” Carmilla says as Laura moves like a flash in the corner of her vision. 

The dark haired girl whips around to see what’s happening, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. Laura was angry, and angry fighters make mistakes. this was a recipe for disaster and all of the more experienced people in the circle knew it. Suddenly, Laura was in the air and her heel was hitting Derek in the temple. If he hadn’t been wearing a helmet, he would have been on the ground unconscious. He countered despite seeing stars, a flailing punch that had no hope of landing as Laura blocked and gasped for air.

“Take it easy, Cupcake. There’s no fire.” Carmilla advises from the side-lines. Derek has recuperated and he throws a kick of his own, also heading for the head, but he overestimates Laura’s height and it sails over. The small girl scoffs and steels herself, Carmilla’s advice ringing in her ears. She sets her stance and waits for him to come to her, side-stepping at the last second, her face stinging as a blow glances off of her face and she grasps his helmet with a (usually illegal) palm thrust, elbows the helmet (also usually illegal), and brings his face down to an inch above her knee. A blow that, if it had landed, would have broken his nose all over his face, the same way her own nose currently felt as blood ran down her face.

“Next time, remember when I do fight you fair and square, it’s not because I have to. It’s because I respect both the art and your worthless ass enough too much to fight any other way. Next time, pick on someone your own size.” Laura says, wiping at her nose with the back of one gloved hand, staining the white material red. She swings herself out of the ring, whips off her helmet and tosses it to LaF, stomping off to go see Perry wordlessly, blood running down her face. Carmilla watched her walk away, feeling like she was seeing a burning avenging angel walk away from her.

Laura sat in Perry’s tent, letting the older girl brush her off and held an ice pack gently, silent tears running down her face.

“Are you okay?” Perry asks, noticing the crying.

“Yeah, I’m just really, really, angry. What kind of raging b-bad person thinks that they can just get away with something like that?” Laura asks.

“I should’ve broken his nose.”

“Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure that Carmilla is about to.” Perry says with a gesture to the sand where Carmilla was up on the sand covered platform, her muscles all standing at attention, facing down the terrified young man who had already thoroughly had the snot beaten out of him.

“Why is he still in there?” Laura asks, confused, as Perry wipes the scrape on Laura’s cheek clean.

“You left the ring before you were declared winner.” Perry immediately responds, her brain a steel trap for all things related to rules, nursing, cleaning, and LaFontaine.

“Poor guy has no idea of what he’s up against.” Laura mutters though she actually has no shits to give for the boy.

“Plus, he’s already gotten her riled up by hurting you. He couldn’t have dug himself any other worse grave. I wouldn’t be surprised if we found him floating in the ocean later today.” Perry confesses, smearing some kind of cream on the cut.

“Why do you say that?” Laura asks as the sound of Carmilla’s vengeance echoes out to them.

“She obviously cares a lot about you and that’s rare for her. I’ve never even seen her with friends before, or any kind of significant other. I just assumed that she was sort of married to her work.” Perry explains, digging around in her kit.

“People assume things about Carm a lot. In all honesty, she’s one of the kindest and gentlest people I have ever met. She cares more about all of us than she will ever be willing to admit. Just because she doesn’t have friends, doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want them.” Laura grumbles, accepting the eye drops that Perry offered her.

“I guess that I’ve just not ever thought about it like that.” Perry admits.

\-----/////-----

Carmilla's match with Robinson did t last nearly long enough to suit her, even if did leave the ring with a bloody nose and a bruise flowering in his cheekbone, the placement everything but accidental. Her next to opponents were up and beaten down, just as quickly. She barely paused to acknowledge Laura's presence when the wounded girl rejoined them. She was naturally very aggressive in style, starting her next match with a round to the head that the sorry guy barely dodged before spinning into a reverse turn side kick. 

"Carm, there's no fire honey. Take your time or you won't be able to handle everyone." Laura advises, resting her elbows info the ropes and repeating her own advice to her.

"Got it. Okay, I'm chilling." She says, and Laura's eyes follow the trail of a bead of sweat racing down Carmilla's back.

"Chilling probably isn't the word for it." Laura mutters, making LaFontaine chuckle.

"Come on, look at her." Laura groans, exhaustion running through her. 

"Are you alright?" Danny asks, coming over to where her friends stood, looking worriedly at Laura. She was failing utterly in her attempt to distance herself from the much shorter girl. 

"I'm just really, really, really tired all of a sudden." Laura says, her eyes only halfway open. 

“Do you want me to take you back to the dorms?” Danny asks.

“No, I want to stay with you guys, I’m just not sure how long I’ll be able to stay on my own two feet.” Laura says, beginning to sway on her unstable legs.

“You’ve had a rough first trip. How about you watch from my back?” Danny asks, grinning kindly at her crush. She bends down onto one knee and Laura climbs up.

“You are really, really, tall.” Laura comments, her arms around Danny’s neck, even though she never once took her eyes off of Carmilla.

“Yeah, I know.” Danny said with a roll of her eyes. Laura didn’t respond, her gaze locked on the sleek form in black zipping around, taking out opponent after opponent.

“Xena, want to relieve me?” Carmilla asked, not just because she didn’t want Laura that close to the tall redhead, but also because she felt very close to collapsing where she stood.

“Go ahead, or you might not get a turn.” Laura encourages, jumping down and helping Carmilla off of the stage, patches of sand stuck to the older girl’s skin.

“You okay, Carm?” she asks.

“Tired and thirsty. Sore legs.” Laura’s sparring partner respond, leaning a little bit more than was absolutely necessary on Laura.

“How are you recuperating?” Carmilla asks Laura, as the smaller girl guides her into Perry’s tent and into a chair.

“I’m fine, Carm. I’m more worried about you.” Laura replies, as Perry gets water.

“Where do your legs hurt?” she asks.

“My hamstrings and calves.” Carmilla groans.

Laura kneels down in front of her and grips the contracted muscle in her strong fingers, working it until it was almost completely relaxed.

“Oh, my, gosh.” Carmilla groans.

“What are you two doing?” Perry asks suspiciously as she ducks into the tent.

“I’m rubbing out her knots.” Laura explains, her face going red.

“I’m betting you are.” LaF says, as they join the group. “How does she look, New Girl?” they ask.

“She’ll be fine in a minute.” Laura reassures her friend.

“Okay, good, a bunch of the girls were worried.” LaF says, not aware of Carmilla’s eyes going wide at their words. 

“I told you that you were likable.” Carm says proudly.

“They just want to fight for them and make Silas look good. Don’t be naive, Cupcake.” Carmilla says, reverting back to her normal, incredibly broody self.

“Why don’t you feel likable?” Laura asks, scooting closer. “Sit on the edge of the chair.”

“The only people who ever really get attached to me are creepy middle aged men who want to get in my pants and still live with their moth...ahhh.” Carmilla’s tirade dies away as Laura’s hands slide up one leg of her tiny spandex shorts, rolling the material up as high as it would go, revealing taught, sandy, muscle covered in pale, milky white skin. One of Laura’s thumbs digs in in a circular motion, painfully hard and Carmilla grits her teeth against the slowly dissipating pain.

“Hnng.” she growls in the back of her throat, though Laura would later swear that it sounds like a purr.

“I’m not a middle aged man. And, I don’t even have a mother, and I like you.” Laura informs her, now that she has successfully rendered the champion speechless. Her thumbs continue their work as Carmilla struggles to not allow tears to spring to her eyes.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Cupcake.” she replies as Laura starts her other leg and Carmilla winces.

“You should have called for a break earlier. This is going to be hell tomorrow.” Laura says with a shake of her head.

“Especially since you’re driving home tomorrow.” she adds remembering that Carmilla wasn’t on the bus with everyone else.

“You’ll just have to drive for me then. I did get in this mess defending your honor.” she teases.

“I defended my own honor just fine, thank you.” Laura grumbles, letting the black material snap back into place.

“Yeah, you did.” Carmilla said softly, remembering the fierce look on the smaller girl’s face as she took down a guy almost four times her size. Laura was standing over with a glare and a half pout that was irritating on anyone else’s face. she remembered the thrill of terror running down her spine every time that Laura was almost hit.

Almost against her will she reached forward and grabbed Laura’s hand in her own, examining the calluses running across her palm and how small they were in comparison to her own, the bruised and skinned knuckles that came along with their particular form of art.

“It was pretty damn hot, too.” she admits, jerking on Laura’s wrist suddenly so that she fell against the taller girl. Carmilla caught and steadied her easily, before pulling her against her and carefully placing her lips over Laura’s.

\------///////-------


	13. 13

“Hmmmm?” Laura murmured in confusion at first as Carmilla kissed her.

“Oh, I’m so…” Carmilla broke away and started to apologize, only for Laura to readjust herself on the older girl’s lap and kiss her back harder.

\------//////------

“That’s ten, Per.” LaF says as the new couple pokes their heads in the tent.

“Stop watching, LaFontaine, that’s an invasion of privacy.” Perry fusses.

“They’re in your tent, Perry.” they protest.

“Let them have their moment.” The nurse says, waving her person off, and looking back in.

“I thought you wanted Laura to end up with Danny?” LaF asks.

“No, I want all of our girls to be happy and I don’t think that Danny and Laura would make each other happy anymore. Not after watching them this past week.

“I didn’t think Frosh had that in her.” LaFontaine says, eyebrows up high on their forehead in surprise.

“Laura is certainly full of surprises.”

\-----/////------

The girls had won by a landslide, that much was for certain. The Zeta’s had ticked off the girls royally with injuring Laura, the most beloved of all the students in the school. Carmilla had gone all ‘Super-woman’ and taken out most of the harder fought guys before wearing herself out. Danny had been really surprised that Carmilla would ask her of all people to be the champion’s relief. maybe it was because the older girl didn’t want Laura and Danny hanging out or something, but it was really very satisfying to get to bash some heads on the burning sand for a while.Then, the Zeta coach had called Kirsch’s name. The lanky boy had loped up in a pair of swimming trunks and grinned at her, his shoulders red and burning. It was frustrating, and kind of pissed Danny off.

“Ready, Summer Psycho?” he asked, as they tapped gloves.

“Whenever you are, Popped Collar.” she growls back.

“Begin.” Danny’s mom calls, watching Kirsch’s foot immediately slide right past Danny’s head and her daughter’s foot slam into the boy’s bare stomach, he immediately doubled over (Danny hadn’t held back at all) and she brought her foot down in an axe kick onto the back at all, and she brought her foot down in an axe kick onto the back of his helmeted head. 

“Point Lawrence!” the Zeta Coach calls with a distraught shake of his head, his boys weren’t doing very well when usually they could hold their own. Silas had a knack for picking up all of the really great female fighters...and LaFontaine. Can’t forget about LaFontaine.

Danny was about to jump out of the ring for Carmilla to come back when she heard Kirsch grunt behind her as he struggled to get up.

“Gosh, get your weenie ass up.” she grumbled, extending her hand to him.

“How about you get your weenie ass down here?” Kirsch teases, hauling himself up.

“Because that’s where the losers go.” she says with a smirk, one hand on her hip as she vaults out of the ring. Kirsch smirks back from the other side and it’s almost like the way things used to be for a moment. Danny’s face galls when she remembers this and she turns away with a shake of her head because ‘no’ things can’t ever be the same again. Not after they had both been ripped apart by the one girl they had both thought that they could trust. It had irrevocably changed Danny, no matter how much she had wanted her friend back.

\------/////------

Carmilla comes out of Perry’s tent, a very satisfied smirk on her face and a new spring in her step. Laura follows behind her a little more slowly and her face a brilliant shade of red that she hopes everyone will attribute to the sun. When the coaches start yelling for the older girl to hurry up, she presses a quick kiss to Laura’s temple and climbs into the ring, ready for action again, leaving onlookers staring at the new girl with shocked expressions.

\-----//////-----

The air in the dorm rooms is heavy, much too heavy to get anything done. Most of the team is out on the town to sightsee and spend their last night away from home in style, but now Laura. She’s out by the pool again in her bathing suit lying out with wet hair on one of those horribly uncomfortable chairs, staring up at the starts, trying to remember her mother’s face. She’s so deep into her thoughts that she doesn’t hear LaFontaine, Perry, and Danny join her.

“You alright, New Girl?” LaF asks, their brow creased with worry.

“Yeah, I’m all good.” she replies, disoriented when she looks around to see herself surrounded by the majority of her friends.

“You sure?” Perry asks, just in case.

“I’m positive.” Laura nods adamantly.

“So, you won’t mind if we do THIS!” Danny adds, grabbing Laura’s shoulders as LaFontaine grabs her ankles and swings her into the pool.

“Oh my...You’re dead LAWRENCE!” she shrieks, swimming to the edge and dragging Danny in after her.

“It was THEIR plan not mine!” Danny yells, shaking her sheets of red hair out of her eyes.

“You! I should’ve guessed.” Laura says with a giddy smile as Perry snuck up behind LaFontaine and shoved them into the pool, jumping in after.

Soon, they are all engaged in a water war with swimming noodle water guns and lots of splashing and shouting. Laura is the only one to notice Carmilla watching from around the corner, her eyes never leaving Laura’s face.

“Carm! Get in! It feels great!” she calls, waving her over.

“Nope, I’m good. Nightswimming has never really been my thing unless I was naked.” she says with a shake of her head, in her strappy black bikini again.

“Breathe, Laura, breathe.” LaF says with a light laugh.

“No, no, no, no let’s get her.” Laura suggests.

“No way, you get her. I’m scared.” LaF refuses, with a shake of their red hair that sent water spraying everywhere.

Laura swims off with a huff and climbs up the ladder and pulls herself out. She stands at the top and shakes out her hair. Carmilla can’t help but admire her. Her calves are cut and her stomach is taut as she reaches up over her hair to stretch. She’s radiant in the moonlight.  
“You should swim with us, make some friends that aren’t me.” Laura insists, leaning towards her, her chest in full view. The older girl has no idea if Laura knew what she was doing or not. Normally, she felt like she could read the younger girl’s mind, but she had no idea if she could honestly be that manipulative. The new girl was smirking and Carmilla had no idea why until she was charging, wrapping her arms around Carmilla’s waist and lifting her before jumping and plunging them both into the water. Laura wraps her legs around Carmilla’s (just to make sure she didn’t get away, of course).

“You jerk!” Carmilla shouts once she’s come up for air, jumping for the small girl and dunking her, much to the enjoyment of all of the others. Laura turned the maneuver to her advantage, swimming down and pulling her legs out from under her.

“My win!” Laura shouts, once she’s got her head over the water’s level.

\-----/////-----

The rest of the night passes the same way, the others slowly beginning to incorporate Carmilla into their antics as it grew later, beginning with LaFontaine. Laura couldn’t help but be proud of her friend for being the first to splash her dark-haired, and truthfully rather broody friend.

“Why would you go shopping when you could do this?!” Laura shouts into the sky as she floats on her back amongst some of her favorite people in the world. She felt for a moment like nothing could reach her if she didn’t want it to. She was untouchable. Almost like she was one of those stars that she and Carmilla had gotten into the habit of watching.

Carmilla had been making a practice of learning all of Laura’s facial expressions. The one she wore now meant that she was no longer in attendance, checked out, and gone out of town. Laura spaced out a lot, i was a notorious habit of the New Girl’s, notorious enough that even Carmilla had noticed before she had taken such an interest in the fighter. This particular instance though, she seemed more melancholy than anything else though. The facial expression still had the ability to cause a pang of concern in Carmilla’s chest.

“You doing okay, Creampuff?” the champion asks, languidly swimming over to where the blonde floated in a corner of of the pool quietly.

 

“Yeah, it’s just that I really don’t want to go home.” Laura tells her, looking sadly into Carmilla’s dark brown eyes. Outside, during the night, they seemed so dark that they could almost be black.

“why not?” the older girl asks, wondering why Laura Hollis of all people would rather stay and work herself to death that go back to her father.  
“I don’t want all of this to end, Carm. All of getting along, the fun we’ve all been having, Perry and LaF together… us. I’m afraid that when we leave the magic will too. When we get back you’re going on tour, and I won’t see you for three months, Carm. Three months is a long time and we haven’t even talked about what ‘us’ is, yet.” Laura says, looking at her with that incredibly vulnerable expression again. The one that made Carmilla want to wrap her in blankets, giver her cookies, and watch some stupid television show with her until she was better again.

“Honestly, we’re going to be whatever you want us to be, Laura. I’ll be whatever you want me to be for you. Whatever it is that you want, I’m in.” Carmilla says, and Laura stares at her in amazement, wondering what amazing thing she did in a past life to deserve this.

“I’m going to want...I’m going to need some time to think about this. Is that okay?” Laura asks, enjoying the fact that Carmilla looked just as vulnerable as her for once.

So often she was everyone’s champion, the fighter that everyone wanted to be, the strongest of them all, that people forgot that only two years ago she was teenager the same age that Laura was now. Here, staring back at the younger girl with pleading eyes it was impossible to forget. Carmilla looked at her like Laura was some perfect girl on a pedestal. The champion knew Laura’s faults, but only thought that they made her better.

“I’ll go shower. Are you going back to LaFontaine’s room tonight? Just if you need the space?” Carmilla asked, pulling herself from the water.

“That’s probably a good idea.” Laura said with a rather forlorn sigh. She made it a whole five minutes before she was wrapped in a towel, shoes in hand, chasing after Carmilla.

“Laura?! What are you…” Carmilla asked in surprise before finding herself pinned to the wall by the small girl, using nothing but her mouth and her hips to hold her there.

“I just needed...I’m good now.” she attempted to explain, without actually completing a sentence, turning on her heel and ducking into her and LaFontaine’s room. 

“Uhm...okay.” Carmilla answers the empty air alone in the foyer.


	14. 14

“You all packed and ready to go, Cupcake?” Carmilla asked as Laura came out to her car, a backpack on much tanner shoulders and a duffel of sparring gear in her hand. Carmilla brushed her thumb over the scrape on Laura’s cheek.

“Yeah, and it doesn’t hurt any more, Carm. I’ve had worse. Trust me. I’ve probably been doing this as long as you have.” Laura scoffs.

“Whatever you say, Creampuff.” Carmilla says with a half-smile.

“Are your legs good to drive or do you still want me to?” Laura asks, ignoring Carmilla’s smirk.

“No, my legs are always great, Buttercup.” Carmilla says as she tosses her bag over her shoulder into the back seats and slides into the driver’s seat.

“Of course you do.” Laura says with a sigh, the seat belt almost burning hand when she fastened it, trying hard not to stare at Carmilla as she sat in the driver’s seat, waiting on the crowds of teenagers to pass.

“Have you thought any more about what I said?” the older girl asks, studiously not even glancing at Laura. She sighs and runs a hand through her blonde hair.

“Yeah, actually, I have.” she starts, and Carmilla can’t help but glance over at her.

“This, whatever it is, I want it. I want it to be a thing. A real thing.” Laura says, surprised by just how hard her heart was beating.

“Good, me too. I want that too.” Carmilla says with a sigh of relief and a shaky smile.

“Good.” Laura replies with an awkward smile, wishing that she could somehow dissipate the tension filling the car.

“How did you enjoy your first ever Silas beach trip?” Carmilla asked as the school bus finally pulled out.

“It was pretty great. The company wasn’t half bad either.” Laura teased.

“Even the passing out part?” Carmilla asked jokingly.

“Almost dying is never fun.” Laura says with a fake scowl.

“I wouldn’t say all of that.” Carmilla says with a smirk.

“You stop.” Laura giggles, reminded of the fact that Carmilla laugh before. It was probably the best laugh that she had ever heard.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Carmilla asked, making Laura blush.

“I’ve never heard you laugh before, at least, not ever like you meant it.” Laura admits, owning up to the staring unabashedly.

“I don’t really laugh all that often. Never have. I’m not quite sure why.” Carmilla says, looking perturbed for a moment.

“You should do it more often. I loved it.” Laura says with one of her goofy grins on her face. Carmilla blushed a pink shade that almost matched Laura’s and turned her attention back to the road.

“I can’t believe that I picked you of all of the people that I could have liked. I mean really.” Carmilla groans only half jokingly.

“You say that, but what about the girl I picked.” Laura replies back.

“I have been a terrible influence on you, Cupcake. You have gotten ten times sassier since we started spending time together. You’ve become a downright smartass.” Carmilla says with a hint of pride in her voice. 

“I’ve always been a bit sarcasatic, I’ve just usually kept these sorts of comments to myself. It’s easier to open up around you and let loose , take my hair down, you know?” Laura asked.

“I completely understand.” Carmilla replied as they settled back into a comfortable silence.

Carmilla was actually glad about this since she wasn’t the most talkative person in the world and valued being able to sit in silence with someone, even if the blonde girl was incredibly twitchy as Carmilla leaned over and turned the radio on to some generic Top 40’s pop music station she knew that Laura would like.

\-----/////-----

“I’m going to make my dad buy me a wheelchair so that I don’t have to move my legs ever again.” Laura groaned as she and Carmilla finally got out of the car two hours later. 

“I think that my legs are actually, physically, trembling.” Carmilla responds as she stretches, her shirt riding up even higher on her stomach. “And not for any good reasons, either.”

Laura dry gulps and wipers her forehead with the end of her tank-top, no longer sure how long she could stand being in the same car as her sparring partner without losing all of her remnant of self-control and jumping her bones.

“Do you want me to drive for a while?” Laura asks, thinking that she might fare better with something else to focus on.  
“Can you drive a stick?” Carmilla replies, unaware that literally all of her comments were making Laura’s situation worse.

“I tested for my license on a stick.” Laura says matter-of-factly.

“Good, because this is my baby.” Carmilla warns her with a grin.

“Of course, but what does that make me?” Laura replies, with a certain look in her eyes that Carmilla had only ever seen in the dorm room hallway.

Carmilla fills the tank as Laura goes into the station to use the bathroom and but them some snacks. She can’t help but grin when Laura comes out with a wide grin and is literally skipping every third step. the laughter dies in her throat when three big men come out behind her, a leer in their eyes that sends a chill down the older girl’s spine. She casts a glance around the parking lot, there’s only the story clerk, herself and Laura, and three motorcycles belonging to the guys she’s keeping an eye on.

“Hey there, are you ladies okay?” the lead guy asks, as one of his guys circles the cat and the other flanks him.

“We’re fine, thanks.” Carmilla replies, though the question was directed to a terrified Laura.  
“I’m Jim. This is Crow and that’s Mouth.” he introduced himself and the one called Mouth grins, showing off his bottom row of incredibly crooked teeth.

“NIce to know. Now, if you’ll excuse me my friend and i need to be on our way.” Carmilla says, hostility dripping from her every movement. Laura adjusted her posture as well as moving to cover Carmilla’s blindspot.

“Why don’t you come on a ride with us? It’s an exhilarating experience.” Crow offers, leaning across Carmilla’s car, black and greasy hair falling into his pale, gaunt face. Honestly, the man looked like death warmed over, and he smelled the same.

“That sounds lovely, but we really should be getting home. My dad is going to start worrying.” Laura says, hoping to diffuse the situation before things had to get ugly.

“You’re a bit old to be worrying about your daddy aren’t you?” Mouth asks, gripping Laura's wrist in one meaty hand and stepping in way too close to her. carmilla let out a sound only comparable to a growl. Luara could smell his cologne and knew that there was only one way out.

“Now, Carm!” she shouts and yanks him in closer, shoving his face into her knee with a sickening crack of bone and spurt of blood. She grabs a fistful of greasy hair and bangs his head into the gasoline pump as Carmilla shoves her foot into Jim’s groin. He doubles over and she brings down her elbow on the back of his head. Crow grabs Laura from behind, pinning her arms behind her back as Mouth picked himself up off the ground. Using Crow’s weight against him she jumps and slams both feet into Mouth’s chest, knocking him to the ground again. Blue and red lights illuminate the parking lot as Laura pile-drives Crow, head first into the concrete. Carmilla ran to her, bruises and blood on her face and hands, at ear ripping open the collar of her shirt halfway down her chest.

“Laura, Laura, Laura...are you alright?” she asks, panic filling her voice.

“I-I think I’m okay.” she mumbled in response as they are surrounded by cops and the clerk runs up to them. Laura sways on her feet as she melts into Carmilla. Medics run up to them with blankets.

“Ma’am, can you please come with us? We need to look you over.” a medic asks, gripping Laura’s wrist as she tears herself from Carmilla. She jumps back as though she had been burned, wild fear in her eyes.

“YOU LITTLE BITCH YOU KILLED HIM!!!” Jim shouts, ripping away form the cop attempting to cuff him. He pulls a gun from who-knows-where off of an officer, neither Laura nor Carmilla could ever figure out from whom and squeezed off shots wildly in the girls’ general direction. Laura shoves Carmilla in a leap, before a piercing screech tears through her lungs and Jim crumples to the ground.

Carmilla shoves herself up onto her elbows, pulling Laura towards her defensively.

“She was hit!” Carmilla yells to the medics as Laura begins hyperventilating.

“Deep breaths, baby. Deep breaths.” she coaches, taking her hand. “You’ll be alright.” Carmilla looks down at her, Laura’s leg bleeding into a puddle around them. Medics surrounded them and EMTs with a stretcher, but Laura protested whenever they tried to tear her away from Carmilla.

“I’m coming with you, don’t worry. I’m right behind you.” Carmilla reassured her, and she was following, before being detained by a police officer.

“Do you mind if I ride with you and take your statement?” he asked.

“No, just so long as I get to stay with her.” Carmilla insisted, suddenly exhausted. She allowed the medics to treat the cuts and bruises decorating her usually porcelain skin and answered questions as best she could, but still, her eyes never left Laura.

“The first casualty, before we got there, she was the one who did that?” he asked.

“Yeah, she didn’t mean to, and don’t tell her. It would crush her. We only wanted them to leave us alone. Is she going to be charged with anything?” Carmilla asks, her eyes alighting with flames again.

“No, it’s clear from the tapes and the clerk’s statement that all of this was self-defense. I was just amazed that such a small girl could do that.” the officer replied before going silent.

\------///////-------


	15. 15

Carmilla was beginning to regret turning down pain medication. Calling Coach Lawrence had been painful enough, but Laura’s father had been truly heart wrenching, especially when she had told him that she wasn’t awake, yet. He had been mostly calm, his voice devoid of emotion, until he had asked to speak to Laura. Carmilla replied that she would have to go into surgery to remove the bullet that had lodged into her bone, and she was under sedation. THen she apologized for not being able to have done anything else.

“You shouldn’t have had to do anything, sweetheart. I’ve done everything I can to prepare my little girl for the world , and I’ve done my best to protect her. You can’t protect the people you love from everything, Carmilla Karnstein. She’s strong and she’ll be okay.” He had replied and the champion finally allowed herself to cry.

“Thank you, Mr.Hollis.” she answered and he said goodbye, and told her that he would be there as soon as possible. 

Carmilla sank onto the cot that an orderly had brought into the room so that she could stay with Laura, and pulled the stupid yellow pillow out of the bag of things that hadn’t been ruined with blood or proclaimed evidence by the police. How it, out of everything, had been spared was beyond her, but she was still thankful. Coach Lawrence was supposed to arrive in a few hours, and Mr. Hollis probably would too, so she stretched out and tried to sleep. With Laura unconscious she was going to have a lot of questions to answer.

\------//////-----

“We should let her sleep, she’s been through a lot.” said a distinct male voice.

“Trust me, she’ll want to see Laura before they take her into surgery.” answered a rather gruff female.

“They’re taking Laura?” she asked sleepily.

“Carmilla, I’m sorry, I tried to get them to leave you alone.” Mr. Hollis protested.

“No, Danny was right. I want to be awake for this.” Carmilla said with a nod to the taller girl.

“How do you feel, champ?” Coach Lawrence asked.

“Terrible, you?” she replied with a scowl as she looked over Laura’s bruised form, the scrape on her cheek that had once angered Carmilla so horribly now the least of the older girl’s worries.

“Exhausted and worried. you have some other visitors who would like to see you, if you’re up to it. You really should have called your brother before you called me. He nearly had a meltdown.” Coach Lawrence says.

“Sure, sure, just let me get cleaned up.” Carmilla says, standing up with a groan.

“Do you need any help?” Danny offers, her eyes gentle, sad, and worried.

“To be completely honest, yes. I probably will need some help for a while...thanks.” she says, confused as Laura’s father and Danny’s mother leave them alone with an unconscious Laura.

“I...thank you, for helping Laura. The doctors and cops said that you took a lot of hits, but still refused to leave her side through it all.” Danny says as she helps to remove the horrible hospital gown. Danny kisses with sympathy as she sees the bruises decorating the usually pale skin.

“Laura didn’t get much help from me. I was pinned in by the bigger guy while she had to defend herself again the other two on her own. y the time the cops got there, the one guy was dead, the other two were unconscious and we thought we were safe. she looked sick, like she was about to throw up, she was covered in blood we bother were. then there were gunshots and i was on the ground and Laura...Laura was bleeding everywhere.” Danny listened and continued to help Carmilla With whatever she needed.

“She wouldn't have even been there if it wasn't for me.” Carmilla murmured, staring at her battered form in the mirror as Danny brushed her hair for her.

“You did everything you could and that’s all that Laura will remember or care about.” Dammy reassured her, putting a hand on her shoulder gently.

“Can...can I have a minute alone, Danny?” Carmilla akss, not once meeting her eyes.

“Yeah, sure, of course. Just yell if you need anything.” Danny says awkwardly before leaving the room.

A nurse treating Laura scampered away after a glare from the champion. Carmilla took a seat in one of the horribly uncomfortable chairs and held one of Laura’s delicate-looking, bruised hands in her own. She gently brushed the backs of her fingers against the smaller girl’s cheek.

“I am so, so, sorry.” Carmilla apologizes, the guilt she was carrying threatening to crush her as tears trailed down her own bruised cheek.

“Carm? What are you sorry about, honey?” Laura asked groggily, finally gripping Carmilla’s hand back as she broke through the crust of her pain induced sleep.

“Laura? You’re awake?” the older girl asked dubiously as she devoured the sight of Laura’s open eyes.

“It would appear so. Now, what were you sorry about, Carmilla?” she asked, still sleepily.

“How are you? Do you hurt anywhere? Are you thirsty? Do you need anything at all?” Carmilla asked in rapid fire succession, wanting to be sure that Laura was as comfortable as she could possibly be under the circumstances.

“I just want to know what you did that you feel like you need to apologize to me for.” Laura requested, ignoring all of the other questions.

“I didn’t protect you. I didn’t take him out and get to you in time...if I had hit harder...moved faster, then maybe...you were hurt saving me.” Carmilla finally let herself say it, feeling like she was being crushed under the weight of her own guilt.

“Oh honey, I was the one who decided to jump and save you, if I hadn’t done that then you would be dead. Whatever happens, it was worth it.” Laura reassured her, whatever was crushing Carmilla’s insides lessened a little bit.

“I love you Carm, and I’m glad to have done what I did, now, tell me about what I’ve missed.” Laura grinned and Carmilla finally felt like everything might be okay.

\-----//////-----

“I’m going to let you be with your dad for a minute, they were asking for me outside. I promise that I’ll be right back.” Carmilla said, pain still obvious in her eyes. she stood to leave, her head bowed to study the ground for almost a full minute.

“I care about you more than I thought possible, Laura. I’d have done anything.” Carmilla says and the injured girl could see her shoulders tremble as though she were being borne down upon by some invisible force.

“Stop Carmilla, and come here.” the champion shuffled dutifully to her girlfriend’s side, tears trailing down her face.

“Listen up, it’s not your job to protect me. It never has been and it never will be. I’m your girlfriend, not your responsibility. I love you, and you need to forgive yourself because I have nothing to forgive you for. Do you understand me?” Laura said lowly and seriously, capturing Carmilla’s gaze with her own.

“I love you too.” was all Carmilla said in reply, kissing Laura’s forehead and sending her father in to her as Danny led her to where LaFontaine, Elsie, Perry, Will, and Kirsch waited for her. Wordlessly, she stepped forward and into her brother’s arms.

“Don’t you ever do that again. Don’t ever do that to me again.” the normally taciturn boy ground out through gritted teeth. He peeled himself from his sister and held her out at arm’s length, examining her for injury.

“Did you sustain any lasting damage?” he asked in his strangely formal manner.

“I’m mostly okay.” she reassured him. “Laura will be needing surgery on her leg. She’ll have to miss the tournament. I’m so sorry guys, I should have done better.” Carmilla apologizes again.

“Hey now, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for. You did everything that you could right?” LaF asks, sitting down as Camilla sank into the chair beside of them, seeming like she was leaking exhaustion from her very pores. They rub the older girl's back in soothing circles as Perry went to fetch Carmilla a glass of water.

“I tried so hard, and...and I was so scared. I should have done better.” Will sat on the broken girl’s other side and whispered soothing words to her.

“I’ll go tell Laura that we are all here for her.” Danny offered.

“Alright.” LaF replies, more focused on convincing Carmilla to breathe, as Danny walked away, casting concerned looks over her shoulder.

“Do you need any company?” Kirsch asked, his eyes pleading for her to rescue him from the awkward situation.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Danny asked by way of answer.

“Will wasn’t in any shape to drive anywhere and my parents won’t miss me, so I volunteered. We bros need to be there for one another.”

\-----////----

“Do you want to talk about it?” LaFontaine asks Carmilla.

“No, no, I can deal with this on my own.” Carmilla murmurs, her head buried in her hands.

“You see that’s the thing. You don’t have to handle this alone. You have all of us now, and we want to help you.” Perry adds, kneeling down in front of the hurting girl.

“I only ‘have’ you because I have Laura. Other than that I have nothing and neither of you would be sitting here giving half of a rat’s ass about me.” she growled out.

“You didn’t try very hard either, you know. This is on all of us.” LaF bit back.

“Not Laura, everyone but Laura.” Carmilla corrected, finally looking up and meeting everyone’s eyes.

“Yeah, she’s a wonderful cinnamon roll, too good and too pure for this world.” LaF snorts.

“All too true.” Carmilla concurred, running a hand through her long black hair, a consistent nervous habit.

"She fell asleep but she wanted to see you guys if you're willing to stay until she wakes up." Danny says, apparently oblivious to Kirsch's hand on her shoulder. 

"How is she feeling?"Carmilla asks, all ears and rapt attention when it comes to the tiny blonde girl.

"Exhausted, worried about you, and wondering where you were. She thinks we should all be at home with our families instead of worrying about her when she is quote unquote 'perfectly fine'." Danny snorts with an affectionate laugh. 

\-----/////-------

"Guys! They're taking her into surgery now if you want to wish her luck." Someone called.

Carmilla led the pack at a light jog as she followed Coach Lawrence back to their shared hospital room. When she swung into the room, Laura was awake again and a nurse was disengaging the brakes on the bed. Laura's bruises stood out starkly in the fluorescent lights. Almost all of her skin took on a greenish tinged hue, but her face still lit up when she saw Carmilla, pale faced, eyes swollen, and breathing heavily in the doorway. She cut off her conversation abruptly and held out her arms to her sparring partner, one true love, mentor, and friend.

"Don't you dare leave me." Carmilla pleaded in Laura's ear so softly that she was afraid she had imagined it.

"Then who would buy the cupcakes?" Laura asks teasingly. "Hey, hey, hey, no tears, baby. This surgery is relatively simple, I'll be okay and I'll see you in a few hours." She reassured Carmilla when the older girls eyes began to fill. Laura reached up again, pulling Carmilla down to her level and wrapping her arms around her neck, despite both of their aches and pains.  
“Don’t worry about me too much. I’ll be just fine.” Laura promised directly into her ear.

Carmilla kissed her gently on the mouth, then her forehead, and then again on the lips with a bit more force and meaning to it.

“I love you.” she whispered to the empty room as she was finally forced to allow Laura to be wheeled away.

\-----/////-----


	16. 16

Nobody was really willing to do or say anything about it, but Carmilla Karnstein was getting on everyone’s nerves.

“Look, Perry. There’s a pattern to it. She walks down the hallway all of the way to the door of the operating room and looks down as far as she can. After that, she comes back in here and checks on all of us without actually saying anything and walks around the room. She sits, attempts to play on her phone or read a magazine, fails, then repeats.” LaF points out to their own rather twitchy girlfriend.

“Should I get someone to page Psych? Is she losing it? Do you think that she took a hit to the head bad enough that it could have caused brain damage?” Perry asked, looking honestly worried.

“No, no, but I am worried that she’s going to start hyperventilating and pass out or something.” LaF murmured, concern etching its way across their features.

“Carmilla...come on and sit with us. It’s going to be a while yet.” Kirsch finally insisted halfway through her sixth lap around the room.

“But…” she protests, but can’t argue with him. His grip on her wrist is strong but gentle, and there is no sign of an ulterior motive in his eyes. She let him pull her over to the others and gently nudge her into a seat between LaFerry.

“Just sit down and breathe, honey. Laura told you not to worry too much about her, and yet, here you are driving the rest of us insane. LaFontaine and I are actually more worried about you at the moment, than we are about her.” Perry explains.

Carmilla hasn’t been sitting down for more than half an hour when the doctor comes in, tugging off his skull cap and face mask, still dressed in his PPE. The dark haired girl and Papa Hollis are right in front of him in half of a second, desperate for information. The others join them quickly with a supportive hand on their shoulders or backs in support, just in case of the worst.

“She’s just fine. Your girl is ridiculously brave. Laura’s going to have to wear a boot for a while, and definitely won’t be able to compete in any tournaments for longer. However, after some healing time and physical therapy she should make a full comeback.” he said plainly with an amiable smile.

Carmilla finally felt like she could breathe again. Laura was going to be okay. Laura wasn’t angry with her for anything that she had or hadn’t done. Laura was going to be okay. Laura was in love with her and she was in love with Laura. Laura was going to be okay. Laura had agreed to be her girlfriend and Laura was going to be okay.

“Do you want to come with me to see her? She should be waking up soon.” Papa Hollis offered when he noticed that his daughter’s new girlfriend was completely checked out.

“Yes sir, that would be nice.” she replied nervously. she was a little bit terrified of the kindly older man who clearly adored his only child. She didn’t want to mess something up and accidentally alienate him, and therefore Laura as well.

“Come on, then.” he said and offered her his hand in standing up. He surprised Carmilla by not letting go until they got to the small girl’s bedside. THough bruised and battered, Laura looked completely at peace. Carmilla hoped that she was having good dreams and dared to hope that she played some part in them.

“Laura cares a lot about you.” Papa Hollis murmurs, standing at Laura’s side where he gently combed her hair with his fingers.

“I’d like to think so, sir.” she replies curling one of her hands around her partner’s.

“Did you fight hard, Carmilla?” he asks suddenly, looking up form his daughter to meet the champion’s eyes.

“Harder than I ever had before, sir.” she answered, her eyes hardening. Mr. Hollis can read in her face that when she thought about what had happened, it pained her. sometimes he got so caught up in thinking that the woman in front of him was a US champion in MMA, and that the woman was also dating his daughter, that he forgot that she was no more than a id herself. Much less that she was a kid who had also nearly died fighting to protect his daughter when she didn’t have to.

“Do you care about her too?” he asked even though he could easily guess at the answer.

“More than I thought I could.”

\------//////-----

“Carmilla, come on. We have to check out before we head back out to the studio.” Coach Lawrence knocked on Carmilla’s hotel room door. “And Danny, try to get her to wear something besides black, would you?” she asked her daughter.

“Don’t even think about it, Xena.” the now six time champion warned her friend.

“I know, I know. Good Lord, you’re grumpy when Laura doesn’t have you on your leash.” Danny grumbled back, tossing off her covers and rolling sleepily out of bed.

“Laura does not have me on a leash.” Carmilla protests.

“Don’t kid yourself, Drusilla. You are more whipped than Brody.” Danny scoffs as another knock echoes into their room. carmilla wais for Danny to pull her dress on before opening the door.

“Thanks for the coffee, Kirsch. See you in an hour.” she greets him before shutting the door again.

“There is no way that I’m more whipped than that.” Carmilla grumbles again.

\------//////-----

Laura spent her newfound down time at Silas teaching. She had discovered a love for working with kids when she would help Carmilla with her training and get bored. She had been wearing the 'damn boot' as everyone affectionately referred to it, for the past two months since getting out of the hospital and tended to get very bored and very twitchy. 

"Come on Ace, the hand on the hip is magic. You know that." She reminds one of the youngest boys at four and a half years old. He was also probably the prettiest child she had ever seen. He had golden brown eyes, hair a golden blonde and a crooked smile that made her want to pick him up and squeeze him until he popped.

"Laura! The interview is starting!" Perry calls from her office. Laura turns the class over to Elsie and hobbled to Perry's tiny cubicle of the school and sits beside of her.

"LaFontaine is going to be in this one too." Perry whispers as they watch Danny, Carmilla, and LaF step out into the stage of The Ellen Show to the tune of Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars. LaFontaine got a ton of laughs by dancing horribly with Ellen, even twirling her.

"They crack me up." Laura laughs, mostly because Carm looked horrified and embarrassed. 

"Studio Audience, please give it up for your World Champion team from Silas! This is you six time Under 21 champ, Carmilla Karnstein!" The blonde host introduced. Carmilla stood from the couch and waved with a hesitant smile. Laura smiled widely. Her girlfriend looked radiant in her black dress. It came to an inch above her knees, and though all of the important parts were covered, the bodice was Lacey, giving the impression of seeing more than you were. 

"Danny Lawrence, the runner-up." Danny stood, a bruise on her collarbone plain despite having been slathered with makeup. Perry grips Laura's shoulder and the girl flinches away with an immediate apology from the nurse. Both she and Carmilla experienced mild PTSD symptoms like this every now and then. They would jump at any contact from someone besides the other. 

"LaFontaine, fourth place." Perry bounced up and down in her seat. "She didn't call them Susan! She didn't call them Susan!" She cheered. 

"So, Ms. Karnstein, I hear that you have had a rather interesting and definitely very stressful few months." Ellen prompts smoothly. 

"Oh, you could definitely say that." Carmilla chuckles darkly. "Almost dying and almost losing the person that means the most to you in the world can do that to you."

"You nearly died?! Wow..." Ellen says as though she had no prior knowledge of it.

"Tell me more. Were your friends there?" Ellen asks.

"It was just my girlfriend, Laura Hollis and I." Carmilla begins and a picture of the two of them together at the studio was projected onto the screen behind them. "Wet leaving the summer beach training camp together and making a road trip out of it."

"So, Laura is a fighter too?" Ellen interrupted.

"She's been my runner up for the past two years." Carmilla answers with her nostalgic 'I-love-my-girlfriend' grin.

"Okay, keep going." Ellen encourages and you can almost feel everyone in the room lean forward with rapt attention to listen to every word out of Carmilla's mouth. When the camera panned off of just the champion and Ellen you could see LaF and Danny studying their friend having never heard her tell the story herself.

"We had stopped to get gas and Laura went in to use the bathroom, pay, and of course, get candy." Carmilla laughs morosely as LaFontaine echoes her. 

"Of course."

"I was watching her come out, I have a terrible habit of that, just watching her. After a moment I realized that she was being followed. They cornered us between the car and the pump and tried to force themselves on us. We, of course, fought back. Two against Laura and my guy had a knife. All I remember was feeling like the very blood in my veins had turned to fire. I was terrified but only the one thought echoed in my mind. I have to get to Laura. She's a powerhouse, and she is completely capable of taking care of herself, but that will never negate how badly I want to keep her safe, and protect her from anything and everything that would want to hurt her. We took all three out, one dead, one unconscious, and the other trying to run by the time the cops arrived. They subdued the runner just as the unconscious one was waking up, they hadn't cuffed him, yet, being as they were too busy trying to figure out how two teenage looking girls had damaged these gigantic men so badly. He runs to the cops, screaming that we had killed his friend and yanks the gun from his belt. I was checking in Laura, and trying to calm her down, and didn't notice. Laura did, however and tackles me. It was in that moment, with the crack of the gun echoing in my ears, the ground in my face that I realized I loved her, when I had thought I'd lost her. She took a bullet to the leg and another cop takes him out." Carmilla finishes. The picture changed to one of Carmilla completely passed out and curled around an also asleep Laura, bruised and battered in her hospital bed.

"It's a good thing, too or Carmilla would have killed him herself." Danny adds. "I have never seen anything quite as terrifying as her at the beach when Robinson knocked Laura into the sand and cut her face at the beach trip." She laughs. 

"She abandoned all of the rules and crushed that guy.” LaFontaine laughs in turn.

“They are probably the single most adorable couple in the world. Laura passed out in the hot springs and Carmilla scooped her right up out of the water and swept her away to take care of her. It was the sweetest thing.” Danny says and Carmilla looks shocked at how supportive she was of them, especially after her oh so obvious crush on Laura.

“It sounds as though this Laura girl just can’t get a break. Are the two of you seeing any special someones?” Ellen asks.

“I recently started seeing an old friend of mine, Brody Kirsch of the Zetas. LaF here is dating our school nurse, Lola Perry.” Danny says as Ellen’s cronies bring out four sets of rash guards.

“I have here a set for you three and one for Laura. Guess which is for each of you.” Ellen encourages them with one of her trademark mischievous grins.

“Useless lesbian heroic vampire...that’s got to be for Carmilla.” LaF laughs.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Carmilla asks, her expression a mixture of horror, hilarity, and insult.

“Dont pretend that you aren’t aware that you are rocking the whole dark and broody look, Karnstein.” Danny responds on her friend's behalf. Back at Silas Laura is howling with laughter.

“‘Tall, red, and slightly less broody one.’ Here ya go, Clifford.” Carmilla says with an evil smirk.

“Stuffit, Addams. Nonbinary deity. That’s LaFontaine.” Danny says as she hands the shirt to LaF with an affectionate grin. The show ended without anything else major happening. Laura closed her eyes and plugged her ears because she wanted what her own shirt said to be a surprise and didn’t open them until Perry said to. Laura then went back to the class she was teaching for another hour, until the bell rang on the studio door. Coach Lawrence came in, leading her three incredibly exhausted students. LaFontaine and Carmilla perked up immediately when they caught sight of their significant others. laura wanted to run straight into Carmilla’s arms but, her leg still ached whenever she moved. Instead, Carmilla raced to her, dropping her bags as long strides carried her to her girlfriend. She threw her arms around Laura’s waist and lifted her into the air for a proper full body hug, burying her face in the smaller girl’s shoulder and taking in her scent. Carmilla finally put her down and blushed when she saw that everyone was watching them.

“I saw your interview. Do you have my shirt?” Laura asks as though it were the only thing on her mind as she wipes a tear threatening to fall from Carmilla’s eyes. The older girl reaches into her backpack and pulls out a blue t-shirt in the same design of the others. It read: ‘Not only can I kick your ass but my girlfriend can too.’

Laura stood and looked at Carmilla for a long while, incapable of tearing her eyes away.   
“I’m glad that I threw myself in front of a bullet for you. Not everyone can say that the U21 World Taekwondo Federation champion owes them a life debt.”

“Not everyone can say that the six time World Taekwondo Federation champion is totally and irrevocably in love with them either.”


End file.
